Water Kit - Hunter Water

introduction to water supply
WATER SUPPLY
Hunter Water provides water to nearly
500,000 residents, businesses and
industries in the local government areas
of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland,
Cessnock and Port Stephens.
Water is collected in three main storage
sources, treated and then supplied to
consumers through an extensive network
of pipes and pumping stations.
Historically, urban water supply has been
guided by the principle of increasing
supply to meet the evergrowing
demands of consumers.
In more recent times, however, there
has been a shift towards finding ways
to manage the community’s demand for
water rather than just increasing supply.
Water conservation programs, user-pays
water pricing systems, water recycling,
and improving water supply efficiency
are all part of Hunter Water’s sustainable
approach to water supply.
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
This Water Kit provides information and
worksheets to help schools integrate
local and regional water issues into their
curriculum. A range of issues are
addressed in this section, including:
• The relationships between the
water cycle, catchments and our
water supply
• The location and features of the
Hunter’s water storage areas
• Impacts on water quality and
water supply within the Lower
Hunter’s catchments
• How sustainability principles are
being addressed in the water
supply system
• Opportunities for community
participation
The information and worksheets within
this section can be used collectively,
independently or combined with those
from other sections of the kit.
Water kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010 1