King of Spin

The drought has gotten really bad here in Australia, i put it down to lack of preparation from the government. But the recent rain here in Brisbane with an inch of rain yesterday and rain apparently continuing all week but that wont do too much.

I think it's quite simple really a de-salination plant would do the trick there is so much sea water out there that could be purefied and i say so much meaning with in reason.

What are your feelings on the situation and how do you think the situation could be helped.

Jizz

I don't think it's as bad down here in Melbourne, but we've seen better times. I believe the water storage levels in Melbourne hover betwen 25-30%. Around this time last year it was about 60%. Steps have been taken by the government to reverse this situation but ultimately it hasn't been enough.

As it stands now, de-salination is the only solution for most parts of Australia.

Bouma

I've done a bit of research on this matter as I'm doing a speech tomorow argueing that recycled water should be utilised rather than desalination. Regardless of whether global warming is of human causes or naturally occuring, I won't dwell on that. But if high CO2 levels are really the cause of this warming that a desalination plant would only do more damage. De-salination plants produce a very large amount of chemical biproducts which end up in our atmosphere.

You are correct when saying that the Governemnt is slightly to blame as it has got to this point, Howard has simply ignored the matter and it is about time that he acts. Everyone needs to accept that Australia is an extremely drought prone country and the driest inhabited continent on Earth. Droughts will always occur in Australia, it is a problem that has been around for quite some time.

Rain may be quite a problem in Brisbane and other Northern regions but regions further South are also suffering. Fortunatly Melbourne has been getting some fairly satisfactory rainfall recently and I hope it continues. I honestly think that we need to invest in Recyclable water not essentially for drinkig but for industrial purposes and agriculturally to an extent. Recycled water is already being used partially in areas in Australia to great success which is why I think it should be used more.

Here's a good quote that I found concerning this:

"Too long we have been livinglike we might live in Europe and not in accordance with dry climate conditions. Most people who balk atreusing sewage water should be educated about recycling."

Jizz

Thanks for sharing this info. Didn't know some of the stuff you mentioned. The governments relly should act fast now, because no matter how many water saving campaigns you have, there'll always be a vast amount of people out there who are wasting water on a daily basis and don't care.