Stratford District Council has become the first council approved for a Green and Social Loan under LGFA’s Green and Social Loan Sustainable Water and Wastewater Management category.
The council is nearing the completion of its universal water metering program to modernise the district’s water infrastructure and achieve high-level resource efficiency. Once complete, 3,116 connections, which make up 100% of Stratford district’s residential connections, will have universal water metering coverage. This is in addition to existing metering of rural, lifestyle and commercial properties.
Through this project, the council is moving to become a leader in data-driven water stewardship, ensuring that every drop of water is accounted for and that Stratford district’s water resource is carefully managed for the benefit of current and future generations.
The council will be able to utilise real-time data to identify network-wide inefficiencies and private-side leaks, ensuring the project delivers its intended environmental and social benefits that include:
- Increase Network Efficiency
- Improve Resource Use
- Enhance Social Equity
- Reduce Operational Carbon
‘I’m pleased to see Stratford District Council’s Universal Water Metering Programme become the first water-related project financed through LGFA’s GS Loan programme. This is a great example of the types of projects we hoped to support when we established this lending programme, one that puts local communities and environmental outcomes at the centre.’ Mark Butcher, Chief Executive, LGFA
‘Stratford District Council was excited by this funding opportunity and sees value in water demand management being recognised as part of council’s sustainability drive. Water supply is not only an essential service that our communities rely on but also consumes significant resources during its extraction, processing and delivery. Therefore it is important to identify losses and incentivise responsible management by residents and businesses. The metering project funded with the help of the Green and Social Loan has enabled Stratford to achieve its vision of 100% metered connections district-wide’. Sven Hanne, Chief Executive Officer, Stratford District Council