Fears over water supplies this summer

Most people in NSW expect the continuing drought will result in water not being available for anything other than essential use such as drinking, a new survey reveals.

And this will lead to no water being available for our gardens, trees, parks and public spaces, with regional and rural residents fearing this the most. 

A UNSW Sydney community attitudes survey found that people want better water security planning through a range of initiatives including new dams, the recycling of wastewater for drinking, expanding capacity at the Sydney desalination plant and at existing dams, and new water restrictions for homes and businesses.

The findings come amid growing public policy debate in NSW and other states about how to best secure water supply as many stored and natural water supplies continue to drop and various water restrictions have been or are being introduced in both metropolitan and regional areas.

UNSW Global Water Institute Director, Professor Greg Leslie, said a third of the NSW survey respondents said they felt stressed about domestic water supplies.

“Equality to the access to clean water for domestic use is in jeopardy, and this fact is essentially lost in the debate about water capacity including around raising the height of the Warragamba Dam wall,” he said. “These results show that people are worried about their water supplies and want action.

“Sydney is growing rapidly but our ageing water infrastructure won’t meet projected demand, let alone reliably cope with our geographical and climactic characteristics. If we don’t act soon with involvement from relevant research and knowledge agencies, as well as input from the community, we will be end up with the wrong solutions.”

Professor Leslie said a multidisciplinary approach to water supply and management is needed to rethink the management of Sydney’s current and future drinking water supply which could well run out if multiple projects and initiatives are not put in place to increase water capacity and access.

Are you worried about water supply issues where you live? Should more be done to secure water supplies?

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Greens -The water melon party - green on the outside red in the middle . Or WOFTAM. Or the anti everything party.

Who stopped the Welcome Reef Dam in NSW, Boob Carr and who made shaw it would never be built by making the area set aside for the dam a national park ,Boob Carr .

Thanks for nothing .

 

Perhaps thought should be given that all new houses built should be required to have water tanks and solar panels.

Support students striking for climate change action on Friday 20th September.

If you care about drought, fires, lack of water, damage to the reef and other environmental concerns get out in your local area and rally with the kids. The only thing that will force this government to act is a huge show of numbers demanding action. 

Friday ?? Is it NOT a school day ???

They should have lessons on how dumb it is to start fires in the windy weather.

Exactly!

They are not being told what they need to hear.  No matter what Oz does it will make no difference to the world climate.  India/China are making no attempt to reign in their emissions.

At least one of the unions has now come out in support of nuclear power.  Finally someone has realised that this country will be left behind.

 

" key blue-collar union has split with the federal Labor Party and the wider union movement over the controversial proposal to dump the national nuclear energy ban, describing the long-standing restrictions as outdated and "ideological extremism".

Days after the Australian Council of Trade Unions joined a coalition of influential groups to warn the Morrison government that nuclear power had "no role" as a domestic energy source, one of its members, the Australian Workers Union (AWU), has announced it will argue in favour of lifting the ban.

 

 "key blue-collar union has split with the federal Labor Party and the wider union movement over the controversial proposal to dump the national nuclear energy ban, describing the long-standing restrictions as outdated and "ideological extremism".

Days after the Australian Council of Trade Unions joined a coalition of influential groups to warn the Morrison government that nuclear power had "no role" as a domestic energy source, one of its members, the Australian Workers Union (AWU), has announced it will argue in favour of lifting the ban.

 

The union's national secretary, Daniel Walton, will tell a federal parliamentary committee on Friday that it is "ludicrous" for Australia to be exporting its uranium to the rest of the world while "failing to capture the value of the emission-free energy source at home".

"Thirty-one advanced economies – the likes of the United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Sweden, South Korea and Finland – all rely on nuclear power ... yet here we're stuck in a time warp," Mr Walton said.

 

"Continuing to adopt a position of ideological extremism on nuclear technology is an economic own-goal we can't afford to keep kicking. Because Australia's energy sector is a shameful mess."

 

I wonder if those young “marchers” are themselves behaving like ethical environmentalists or are following mom’s and dad’s hypocricy and just having a day off school. Are they protesting at home too where the biggest carbon footprints are deeply embedded? Are they educating their parents on being environmentally friendly?

People who advocate for political action on climate change are usually the biggest hypocrites if they drive to work, fly, drive a car, eat meat, use unnecessary electrical appliances. Climate change..like charity..begins at home. Teach your children well, not encourage them to march meaninglessly.

Students should be in school, bettering themselves, taking their studies seriously and pursuing careers which will enable them to make a better and lasting impact on the planet.


With you 110% on this Sophie.

Absolutely agree with yhou Sophie

Couldn't agree more Sophie.

From The Australian, 11 September 2019.

Sydney's main dam > Warragamba, 20 September 2019 > 50.4%

Melbourne's water storage levels > 20 September 2019 > 61.6%

Brisbane's water storage levels > 20 September 2019 > 64.0%

Full article here.

Wish some of the rain we had over the last few days would drop to where they have the shortage

Central Coast Council has urged residents to use less than 150 litres of water per person, per day, and has launched on online tool to help them achieve that.

Home

Click on the link above and find out

How much water do you use each day?

It’s easy to save water when you know where you use it most.

When you’re done, they’ll provide some tips to help you reduce your use.

Are you using more than 150 litres of water per person per day ???

More water is used to flush a toilet than to make a cup of tea.

It helps to reduce water coming out of the cistern if you have a dual flush

...also you can put a large bottle of water in the cistern that reduces its output.

Taken from Qld Greens policy:

 

"10. Prohibit the construction of new major public or private dams and desalination plants."

Isn't it marvellous Scott Morrison has decided to donate $150m. to the US Space programme but won't give more money to help the struggling farmers? They have surplus money which they are hanging on to which could be needed to build dams. 

The problem is that most of the dams are nearly empty.... building more dams is not going to help.

The farmers have denuded the natural landscape to fit more stock 

... now without trees we have a desert.

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