Melbourne businesses strengthen sustainability commitments and water efficiency goals with WaterSmart

Greater Western Water is encouraging businesses with high water needs to join Victoria’s WaterSmart program to track and target their water usage.  

Now in its second year, Greater Western Water is already supporting more than 20 businesses in Melbourne’s north and west regions to be water smart through the program.

WaterSmart helps businesses with high water usage needs to save water and reduce water‑related operating costs by installing digital water monitoring via data loggers and undertaking water efficiency assessments to identify cost effective ways to save water.  

Kessia Thomson, General Manager Strategy and Partnerships at Greater Western Water said the WaterSmart program is helping businesses across the region maximise water efficiency.  

"In 2025 Melbourne’s water storages recorded their steepest annual decline since the Millennium Drought. We are experiencing increasingly dry conditions making water efficiency more important than ever," Ms Thomson said. 

"The WaterSmart program helps businesses identify where water is being used, when it's being used, and most importantly, where they can use water more effectively. Water efficiency saves money and helps ensure we have enough water for everyone in the long term."   

“We have more than 20 organisations signed up to the program and would love to see even more join so together we can make every drop count,” she said. 

Melbourne Zoo, Hume City Council, Yarra Trams – Essendon depot and The Y Discovery Camp Lake Dewar are just a few who have signed up to the program and are already seeing results. One of the first organisations to join the WaterSmart program was Melbourne Zoo, installing six devices to track water usage in real time.  

Melbourne Zoo, Sustainability Representative Giuseppe Greco, said WaterSmart monitoring is a great support in achieving Melbourne Zoo’s sustainability goals.  

“The WaterSmart program is a critical step in reducing our environmental impact. It has strengthened our ability to monitor our water usage and respond quickly to any irregularities. It helps us build on our existing efforts to reduce reliance on drinking water and improve overall efficiency,” Mr Greco said.   

“Through the WaterSmart program and alongside the use of environmental sensors and soil probes, we’ve been able to monitor some of our large heritage listed trees, including the 110-year-old Ficus Macrophylla at Carousel Park.” 

These tools help us track soil moisture and canopy transpiration so we can deliver just the right amount of water to each area, helping reduce waste while keeping our tree collections healthy in this ever-changing climate,” he said.  

The WaterSmart program is funded by the Victorian Government and delivered by water corporations. It provides high water using organisations with support for water monitoring and water efficiency audits to eligible businesses, councils and organisations to reduce demand for drinking water supplies.  

Want to learn more about WaterSmart? Visit gww.com.au/watersmart