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The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) has awarded the Renmark Paringa Council, which is located on the Murray River in the Riverland, gold certification
FREMONT, CA: A South Australian council has become the first local government in the world to be recognised by a global water-care alliance for its water policy. The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) has awarded the Renmark Paringa Council, which is located on the Murray River in the Riverland, gold certification. The AWS wants to recognize organizations who adopt environmentally sound water policies. Apple, Toyota's North American division, Google, and Nestle are among the council's approximately 130 accredited members worldwide. Tim Pfeiffer, the council's corporate and community services manager, said the local government body planned to utilize the accreditation to lobby for the community's water needs.
In order to become certified, the council underwent an independent third-party audit against the alliance's requirements in 2021. The criteria look at how an organization uses water, what water-saving practices it has in place, and how its operations impact the environment. The association also recognizes the Renmark Irrigation Trust, which provides irrigation water to the town's fruit and nut growers. More local government organizations signing up and gaining accreditation, according to AWS Asia Pacific CEO Rod Knight, will assist the Murray-Darling Basin. Water treatment is a universal issue that is only getting more difficult, especially as a result of climate change, Mr. Knight added.
The local government has a critical role to play. They are in talks with a number of other local government organizations about getting them started on the water stewardship route. The council will have to undergo an independent accreditation every year to maintain its accreditation. Mr. Pfeiffer described it as a chance to invest in and fund more environmental sustainability projects. They needed to inspect each and every one of the council's locations and look at every park and reserve to see where the water came from.
