Tamworth Regional Council to take part in evaporative air conditioner water consumption study for drought preparation

Households across Tamworth will be enlisted to take part in an evaporative air conditioner study, as council searches for data to better understand water consumption trends.

The urgency to participate in the study comes on the back of the summer of 2019, the height of the worst drought in the city's history, council's waste and water director Bruce Logan said.

"We found that when the temperature got above 35 degrees on any given day, we were using about five megalitres more water," he said.

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During this time Tamworth, Moonbi and Kootingal residents were on level 5 water restrictions.

"We need to know what the story is with evaporative air conditioners," Mr Logan said.

Last year council submitted an expression of interest to take part in the study, but due to associated costs it resolved not to proceed.

Since then, the state government has made funding available and Tamworth council has been invited to take part in the study.

Despite the city of Tamworth having more than 8000 evaporative air conditioner units on the rooftops of residential properties, just 20 will be utilised for the study, which was questioned by councillor Judy Coates.

"It's a small number in terms of population," she said.

"If we want good data, we're not going to get a lot of data from 20."

Council staff with units on their homes will be the first group called upon to take part in the study.

With summer fast approaching, Cr Helen Tickle said it was vital to get information about water consumption to the public.

"I think an education program is also going to be needed when we formalise the results," she said.

"Just to make the community aware of the amount of water they use and how they could reduce that consumption."

By participating in the study council will foot the bill for the installation of meters on the air conditioner units at the 20 residential properties, which is estimated to cost around $3000.

It is expected this will be funded from existing council budgets.

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