The Shire of Narrogin’s Regional Leisure Centre has taken a proactive step toward greater sustainability by participating in a Waterwise Aquatic Centre Audit, delivered through the partnership between LIWA Aquatics and the Water Corporation.

The Waterwise Aquatic Centre Program plays an important role in helping local governments and facility managers identify practical opportunities to conserve water, improve operational efficiency, and embed sustainable practices into everyday management. For regional facilities like Narrogin, these audits provide valuable insight into how to balance community demand with responsible resource use.

The Narrogin Aquatic and Recreation Centre, which welcomes around 57,000 patrons annually, features extensive aquatic and recreation amenities including a 25-metre indoor pool, leisure pool, gym, and irrigated outdoor areas. The recent audit provided a comprehensive analysis of the facility’s water consumption, identifying key areas of use and opportunities for improvement.

Results showed that while the Centre consumed 23,931kL of water in the past year — roughly 420 litres per patron — a significant proportion (around 50%) was attributed to a major leakage. The audit highlighted three key contributors to water use:

• Leakage: approximately 50% of total consumption
• Pool backwashing and evaporation: around 39%
• Lawn irrigation: about 6%

The audit identified key opportunities to save an estimated 11,000kL of water annually.Manager of Recreation Services Brendan Firman has already implemented several of these actions which could potentially save Council up to $35,000.

Current initiatives include the identification and repair of leaks, installation of sub-meters to track water use across the makeup tank, backwash system, and irrigation network, and the progressive upgrade of showers, taps, and toilet fixtures to modern water-efficient standards that deliver strong cost-benefit outcomes.

In addition, Brendan outlined that the Centre is strengthening its water management practices through regular monitoring of consumption via the Water Corporation’s data logger, raising staff and patron awareness of water conservation, and ensuring irrigation aligns with designated watering days and seasonal best practice.

LIWA Aquatics commends the Shire of Narrogin for its leadership and commitment to sustainability. By embracing the Waterwise Audit Program, the Centre not only reduces costs but strengthens its reputation as a responsible and forward-thinking community facility.

The Waterwise Aquatic Centre Program continues to make a measurable impact across Western Australia, supporting facilities to save water, improve efficiency, and champion environmental stewardship in the aquatic and recreation industry.