Water Issues

Bax · 13-06-2007, 02:51 PM

I've been thinking lately, and I must admit it's hurting my brain.

With all the water issues, why haven't we done anything real. Channelling water from one area that isn't affected, to another area that is affected, does not provide a long term solution.

Why hasn't anyone really put any ideas forward.

The way I see it now, is that we are just delaying the inevitable. I'm sure it is safe to say that we've done a pretty good job with water restrictions, but that isn't enough.

Now, why don't we start with the basics.
Water Restrictions are high one day, it rains and they're lowered the next. Wrong.
All towns should be made to have a water restriction of some level, they have not hit my home town yet, we still have idiots watering their lawns at midday, hosing the driveway and roads to get rid of dirt and leaves. We should be on heavy restrictions now.

Dishwashers, washing machines. Discounts on the most water efficient. Use them as little as possible, avoid them if possible. Washing machines are hard to avoid, but dishwashers use approximately 2 sinks full per wash.

Toilets use 5-10L per flush, do we need to go back to out-houses, not really possible I guess but something needs to be done.

One thing that I am thinking, water doesn't come from nowhere, it is a cycle, rain, rivers, evaporation, rain etc. If everybody is going crazy and getting rainwater tanks. Are we going to get anymore rain?

That's my 2c rant, I'm just slightly ****ed that the course of action that the government is taking isn't one that seems to make sense. Not particularly looking forward to running out of water.

Everybodies thoughts?

DOC · 13-06-2007, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bax

One thing that I am thinking, water doesn't come from nowhere, it is a cycle, rain, rivers, evaporation, rain etc. If everybody is going crazy and getting rainwater tanks. Are we going to get anymore rain?

Everybodies thoughts?

LOL you need a coffee dude, funniest thing i have read all day, now just to confuse your thoughts as above, if all of the rainwater tanks are full, would we need the rain ?

Bax · 13-06-2007, 02:59 PM

haha, maybe I've had too much coffee.. Special Mix, Coffee- Milk and Sugar.

Somebody had to throw the idea out there.

prydey · 13-06-2007, 04:48 PM

i think your water useage figures are a bit out regarding toilets and dishwashers.

BA_Turbs · 13-06-2007, 04:54 PM

A dishwasher that is even close to modern uses significantly less water than hand washing dishes.

DoreSlamR · 13-06-2007, 07:27 PM

front loader washing machines use a lot less water than traditional top loader machines also

AC/DC · 13-06-2007, 07:34 PM

The fact that the State Government has done NOTHING in preperation leaves the blame on them.

We are lucky in Townsville to have no restrictions.

If we get desperate we have the burdekin dam, that will last us 25 years.

AC/DC

ED Classic · 13-06-2007, 11:51 PM

Mens urinal trays at one major sporting ground that I frequent use a type of block that does not require water at all. So you can dissconnect all water for flushing in the trays and they are so strong that the room smells better than conventional blocks in combination with water. If every afl/ NRL/ Ground, Casino, Shopping centre etc in Australia used or with luck are forced to use this, the water savings per year would be millions and millions of litres and you dont have to be Einsteen to work those figures out. Now thats something simple as anything that probably wouldnt even put a blip on an AFL or Casinos budget that would help keep alot of freshwater for better use.

Will just say I have nothing to do with or dont know who sells these blocks but I hope they become mandotory in any venue/freehold with more than 2 urinal trays.

Bax · 14-06-2007, 11:15 AM

Figures were off a water saving website that I should have quoted, google search for the figures and it will come up.

My point is that something needs to be done.. Go hard now, or don't bother at all.

pb02 · 14-06-2007, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bax

My point is that something needs to be done.. Go hard now, or don't bother at all.

Have you got a water tank at home? If so, you shouldn't have to worry about anything. We have tank only on our farm in southern NSW, even with the drought we haven't had a problem. A good tank system should mean you are totally independant.

The Victorian Gov. is doing nothing! More restrictions mean nothing with a growing population. We need to look at more efficient systems and better catchment. I recently installed and designed a rainwater system at work. We can be totally independant for about 3 months without any rain.

4.9 EF Futura · 14-06-2007, 11:41 AM

We've lifted water restrictions??????

Quote:

Why hasn't anyone really put any ideas forward.

Now that's simply not true. Why it was over 5 years ago now that Alan Jones bestowed Australia with a simple, easy plan to fix the problem.

http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/tra.../141002_s2.htm

AJ: "Why cant we use the surplus water and build a pipeline from, say, the Ord River to perhaps, Alice Springs and down to Adelaide which is desperately in need of drinking water, to Broken Hill, through Western NSW and Western Queensland? What sort of pipes would you use? What mileage of pipeline would be required to create further arteries for irrigation? How many dams? It’s time all these questions were answered."

Quote:

Media Watch consulted Dr Shahbaz Khan, of the CSIRO's Sustainable Irrigation Systems, to get a costing for Alan's project. He told us it could run to about $88 billion dollars.

Tote · 14-06-2007, 12:20 PM

Most of our "water crisis" has been brought on by politicians who didnt want to spend the money to upgrade infrastructure when it should have been and instead approved massive development with insufficient resources to support it.
Warragamba dam was built to supply Sydney when it's population was half of what it is now, that's why they are running out of water. The town I live in has a dam that was proclaimed in 1930 to hold enough water to satisfy the demand for 40 years, well it did but it's not sufficient for today.
It's easy to cry global warming and introduce water restrictions instead of spending money on solutions. Of course as soon as someone decides to build a dam an endangered species is found in the location to make life difficult.
Regards,
Tote