TAKE A WALK to Manly Art Gallery, then take a walk to some of Bunnings hardware stores. Now, ask yourself — what did you see that is the same?
Local government water harvesting from a municipal building - the Manly Art Gallery.
What’s the same is that the municipal building and the industrial building harvest, use and store some of the rainwater that falls on their roofs.
No big deal, you say. And you’re right — harvesting and storing rainwater is an old practice now new again. It is no longer uncommon, for sure, but it’s still less-than-common on municipal and industrial buildings, though both are catching up.
More and more local government buildings are today fitted with water tanks, and that’s an apt move as citizens are bound to ask what councils are doing with their own premises when they preach to people about harvesting water off their house roofs.
Like Bunnings, businesses and industries can highlight their initiative for PR purposes. That, of course, is an authentic claim for PR because the initiative is demonstratable and veirifiable, unlike much of the dross and claims that the industry puts into the public sphere.
Of course, business gets the same rebates that homeowners get for installing water tanks and other water conservation technologies. And so they should, for surely in an era marked by climatic drying that’s a valid use of public funds.
Business water tank installation at Bunnings hardeware store.
