The cleaning of Wintec’s large concrete wall on Angelsea St began on 7 January to get it prepped and ready for the much-anticipated mural.

With Hamilton on Water Alert Level One, the city’s use of water should be done thoughtfully, and this project is no different.

Rather than disposing of the dirty cleaning water into Hamilton’s Wastewater network (this type of water is not permitted to go into our stormwater network), a system has been set in place to remove the sediment and capture the water which is then used to water Wintec’s gardens and landscapes.

The dirty water is run through several filters to remove any algae, dirt, or other sediment washed off the wall. The filtered water is collected in a tank through a vacuum and then taken to be reused. The remaining sediment that has been filtered out is removed and disposed of.

The handheld nature of the water blaster also allows for more controlled water use, avoiding unnecessary wastage of the water.

Hamilton City Council’s City Waters Manager Maire Porter says the system is “a good example of a water management plan and how beneficial and sustainable water re-use can be.”

During the hotter months Hamiltonians use significantly more water than they do in the cooler months. Ms Porter says, “it’s important to be smart with the way we use water to prepare for the summer months ahead.”

“We’re all responsible for our water use, and in summer we want to be as careful about how we use and re-use our water.”

Reducing and Re-using water can be done simply and easily at home using a variety of water saving tips from smartwater.org.nz.

To raise further awareness about the changes we can all make to how we use water, there is a campaign called Smart Water Starts With You! This campaign is a joint venture between Hamilton City Council, Waikato District Council and Waipaa District Council.

More information about the water restrictions can be found here

You can also sign up to receive updates about directly from at smartwater.org.nz/subscribe

About the water alert level system:

The Water Alert Levels and their corresponding requirements are a way to use water in a sustainable manner and ensure consistent supply throughout summer. The water alert level system consists of four alert levels and matching requirements.

Water Alert Level 1
Use sprinkler systems between 6am – 8am and 6pm – 8pm
Hand-held hosing can be used anytime

Water Alert Level 2
Use sprinkler systems on alternate days between
6am – 8am and 6pm – 8pm
Hand-held hosing can be used anytime

Water Alert Level 3
No use of sprinklers.
Hand-held hosing only

Water Alert Level 4
No use of outside water systems

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