Stage 3
The Global Water Cycle
All water is continually part of the global water cycle, the largest visible part being the world's oceans. However, this is salt water, which we cannot drink or use for most of our water needs. Salt water makes up 97.5% of the water on earth and this is increasing as polar ice caps melt due to global water. Of the remaining 2-3%, most is locked up as glaciers and and groundwater, leaving less than 1% as fresh water for all living things to share - humans, animals, plants, fungi and bacteria.
Q. Do know where the majority of the world's fresh running water is ?
Knowing about your water: Where does your water come from?
Where your water comes from depends on where you are, where ever you are, you are in a catchment area. 'A catchment is an area where water is collected by the natural landscape. Imagine cupping your hands in a downpour of rain and collecting water in them. Your hands have become a catchment.'
A catchment area is named after the main Creek or River all the natural drainage collects into, for example, you may live in the Coffs Creek Catchment area.
If you live on a property out of town you may have to collect your own water when it rains on your roof and store it in water tanks. In this setting your roof is your catchment area. Pipes connect the stored water to your house and property to come from the tap when you need it.
When your school and house are in an area that is connected to the public water supply, such as in town, your water is collected from a water source, cleaned and then distributed through an underground pipe network to reservoirs ready for use. Depending on where you live changes where your water comes from.
What catchment to you live in? Where does your water come from?
Clarence Valley Catchment Area and Water Supply
The main water supply in the Clarence Valley is sourced from the Nymboida River, part of the Clarence River catchment area. It is then stored in Shannon Creek Dam, cleaned at the Rushforth Road Water Treatment Plant and distributed through pipes to local reservoirs (big concrete tanks). Wooli and Minnie Waters have a separate water supplies sourced from local lakes.
Can you find your local reservoir on the Water Supply Reservoir Schematic?
Clarence Catchment Map.pdfClarence Valley Catchment Area
Coffs Harbour Council Area Catchments and Water Supply
The water supply for the Coffs Harbour area comes mainly from the Orara River (sometimes from the Nymboida River), which are both part of the Clarence River Catchment. It is stored in the Karangi Dam and then cleaned at the Water Treatment Plant and distributed via pipes to reservoirs.
Nana Glen extracts and cleans its own water supply from the Nymboida River.
Bellingen Shire Catchment Area and Water Supply
Bellingen Shire has two water supply schemes, the Dorrigo Scheme, and the Lower Bellinger Scheme serving the towns of Bellingen, Urunga, Repton, Newry Island, Raleigh, and Mylestom.
The Dorrigo water supply is extracted from bores by the Bielsdown River, cleaned at the Water Treatment Plant and pumped into the Reservoirs to supply the town.
The Lower Bellingen water supply is extracted from groundwater bores by the Bellingen River (opposite the Water Treatment plant just west of Bellingen), where it is cleaned and pumped to a network of Reservoirs (big concrete tanks) to supply clean water to Bellingen, Urunga, Repton, Newry Island, Raleigh, and Mylestom.
Kempsey Shire Catchment Area and Water Supply
Council manages a total of eight (8) water supply systems.
The main water supply is the Kempsey and Lower Macleay drinking water supply system which provides drinking water to the towns of Kempsey, Frederickton, Smithtown, Gladstone and the associated rural areas and townships (Yarravel, Euroka, Bellimbopinni, Dondingalong, Aldavilla, Kinchela, Greenhill Community, Clybucca, and Burnt Bridge Community).
Water is extracted from the Sherwood borefield (8 production bores), which draws water from the alluvium supplemented via a recharge channel adjacent to the river. The water is stored firstly in the Steuart Mcintyre Dam, then cleaned at the Water Treatment Plant and distributed via an extensive piping network to various reservoirs ready for use
All water is in the Macleay River Catchment area.
The coastal villages of Crescent Head, Hat Head, South West Rocks and Stuarts Point along with the up river villages of Willawarrin, Bellbrook and the Thungutti Aboriginal Community have their own individual water extraction, cleaning and supply from local water sources managed by Council.
Knowing your Water Activity:
Using the available information for your area, draw a diagram or flow chart showing how your water gets to you - at School, or at home
Sydney Water Filtration Animation
Although this short video is based on Sydney Water supply, the principles of water filtration are the same for North Coast Council water supply.
Keeping it Clean: Catchment story demonstration video and presentation
Check out the video below showing how different land use and human activities in our catchment areas can affect the health of our rivers. Of course, it doesn't have to be this way- for every pollution, there is a solution!
Dilution is NOT the solution!
Together we can help keep our creeks, rivers and oceans clean.
Quiz: So how much do you know about water?
The current average daily water consumption in Australia is?
160 litres
50 litres
340 litres
3. 340 litres!
What is the best way to save water at home?
Check your toilet for leaks and fix them
Don’t leave the tap running when you brush your teeth
Use the half flush instead of the full flush
Check your toilet for leaks and fix them
What personal habit of daily water could you change to save heaps of water?
Drink less water
Shower for no longer than 4 minutes
Stop flushing the toilet
2. Shower for no longer than 4 minutes!
Saving water: The best way YOU can save water...
Besides turning off the taps properly, using half flush, and only using what you really need...
