Water water everywhere..

[bushwalker]

Though I have been quiet, I and my brood have been well. Life is rather small and uneventful and follows the rhythms of school, kinder and playgroup with parties and outings punctuating the weekends. Our drought tolerant, Japanese garden is essentially complete and we are in prep mode for Kahlil’s Bionicle birthday party (turns 6) with Dahlia’s

Comments

[plumaria]

I feel so scared when I read about H2o shortages...it is tinder dry here too, on the Big Island of Hawaii (Hawaii) ...we have already had several major fires these last 2 months and just looking at the dry, dry surrounds makes me hyperventilate. Several years ago we had fires where half of our town were forced to evacuate. A year before that a fire started in the gulch which is a part of our land...started by young kids experimenting with smoking....the fire came to within 30 feet of our home....awful...

[flemmarde]

eek! lis, that sounds terrible! bit like your cousin battling the fires around Mt Buller last summer.

Thanks for the overview bushwalker. Fills in lots of the gaps for me. i can only imagine how dreadful my old garden must look in northcote. it is a huge culture shift isn't it?

[bushwalker]

It is a huge shift in thinking. I suppose some people shift better than others. Some people can't move out the "European" paradigm and if the have money, they will probably resort to digging a bore in their back yard. Others have planted the most glorious drought tolerant gardens and if they have money, recycle their water, collect rain water and are self sufficient.

[bushwalker]

Ironically, it has been flooding in Gippsland as we speak yet in the Mallee reigon, it is still dry and water shortages are a very real prospect. When we drove up to Sydney and stopped by at Goulborn, they had water reserves of only 17% and were on stage 5 water restictions. The water doesn't mean much if it doesn't fill the relevant rivers and dams that provide our supply. One report speculated that ALL the bushland would be burnt up within a century and after last summers fires raging through 1 million hectares, you've got to think seriously.

But I hate it when such prospects and raised and alrms bells aren't sounding and action taken. This is such a gravely serious situation.

[kallie63]

Followed a link from Kiwwidane. Mildura's on Stage 3 restrictions and going to Stage 4 on Monday. We were really late to start them though, Stage 1 only started in Dec last yr.

[bushwalker]

Hello! My friend's in laws have a farm in Mildura. Given the state of te Murray, it seems amazing that water restrictions took so long to be introduced there. Do you know the reasons they gave for that? I know they need to irrigate crops but it is not the omly place where that is so?

[kallie63]

I don't know why it took so long to bring them in. I think ppl were disbelieving that the river could ever not have enough water... The growers are having their allocations cut sharply and there's a huge trade in water rights since some growers have been given a zero allocation. Hopefully the river will get some of the water from the floods happening currently since if we have growers with zero water, we don't get the fruit and other crops they currently provide...

[bushwalker]

There are genuine growers /food supply issues but something has got to change because its plain that the Murray is running out of water and is in extremely bad shape. Water recycling or this new desalination plant might be an answer but I suppose however it is resolved the price of food is going to go up.

[hatter_anon]

I find it difficult to remember Australia's chronic shortage while I'm moaning about the rain here ...

It is looking more and more serious isn't it? I think it's only a matter of time before we admit that we have to recycle 'waste' water. I also think it would be more sensible if we had two different types of water coming through the taps, one for drinking one for everything else, and that we might have to get used to a lower quality of water for the second.

Growing up where I did I've always been conscious of conserving water, but I must say I'm still terrible when it comes to showers. Given half a chance I love to have a long shower, and I'd really struggle to cut back to every three days. Logically I know it makes sense, but it's an emotional thing too!

Sounds like you're really making an effort there. Hope you see it rewarded!

[bushwalker]

Of course it is utterly sensible to have two different taps so we don't waste drinking water when it's not necessary. I think brand new housing estates are starting to introduce that infrastructure. I think a more decentralised approach in established areas would also be apporpriate.

I think the reward for saving water is a bit too past its use by date and higher water bills are inevitable.