Summer pilot to help save around the home

Barwon Water is supporting customers to save water in their home and garden via a new pilot program.

Residents that purchase water-saving items – such as pressure washers, drip irrigation, efficient showerheads and pool covers – can claim a rebate this summer.

The WaterSmart Home & Garden Rebate Pilot is now open and helping residents to invest in fixtures that can drive down water use.

It joins a growing list of rebates and grants that Barwon Water offers to support businesses, community organisations, and residential customers with saving water.

These initiatives aim to deliver lower water and energy bills, conserve precious drinking water, and help the environment.

The rebate comes after the driest year in the Barwon catchment since records began.

This has seen Geelong’s water storages slump to 16-year lows, entering summer at less than 50 per cent for the first time since 2009, when the city was on stage 4 water restrictions.

Barwon Water General Manager Planning, Delivery and Environment Seamus Butcher said we can all play our part to make every drop count and protect our water supplies.

“These water-saving actions might seem relatively small, but collectively they can make a significant difference to our storage levels,” Mr Butcher said.

“As our climate gets drier and the population grows, our region cannot depend on rainfall alone to meet an increasing demand for water.

“Barwon Water is investing in a range of water sources and making savings where we can, and we’re also here to support customers in making every drop count.”

Eligible products under the new rebate program are all water efficient and most are Smart Drop Certified. More details can be found at www.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/water-and-waste/saving-water/watersmart-home-and-garden-rebate-pilot

Barwon Water is the only Victorian water corporation that offers rebates which are open to all residential customers.

Its full range of sustainable water programs helped to save 545 million litres of water from July 2023 to September 2025.

This means Barwon Water is on track to meet its aim of saving one 1000 million litres in the five years to June 2028.

Among the fixtures that qualify are garden hoses with trigger nozzles and certain pressure washers (pictured).