Hunter Water is celebrating National Water Week from 19 to 25 October 2026, launching its new regional conservation campaign, Do Less, Save Lots, to align with this year’s national theme, “Water is Life”. The annual awareness week brings together Australian water authorities, commercial enterprise partners, and regional communities to promote long-term water resource management and sustainable urban usage.

Coinciding with the national campaign, the Do Less, Save Lots initiative encourages residential and commercial consumers across the Lower Hunter to adopt small daily water efficiency habits. Key target behaviours include limiting showers to four minutes, restricting garden watering to before 10:00am or after 4:00pm, fitting trigger nozzles on outdoor hoses, and sweeping hard surfaces rather than hosing concrete pavement.

The conservation drive forms part of Hunter Water’s broader long-term water security strategy for the growing Lower Hunter population, which combines demand management with capital infrastructure projects such as the Belmont Desalination Plant. Maintaining daily household water efficiency helps delay the imposition of mandatory Level 1 water restrictions, which are triggered when regional storage levels drop to 60 per cent.

Executive Manager of Strategy and Engagement at Hunter Water, David Derkenne stated that small behavioural changes across households and businesses extend regional water storages during variable climate conditions.

“Water is one of our region’s most valuable resources. It supports our households, businesses, and environment every single day,” David said.

“National Water Week is an opportunity to reflect on the essential role water plays in our lives and the responsibility we all share in using it wisely. These simple behaviours help our water storages last longer during normal conditions and become crucial during drought to reduce how much water our community uses. Small actions taken by individuals, households and businesses can collectively make a significant difference in helping secure our water future. Every drop counts, and by taking simple steps to save water now, our community can help delay the need for Level 1 water restrictions, which are introduced when storages reach 60%. By working together and making the most of the water we have, we can help ensure a reliable and sustainable water supply for our communities now and for generations to come.”

IMAGE | Hunter Water launches water conservation campaign to mark National Water Week 2026