If it dosen't rain in the next few months in some areas of Oz?.

Submitted: Sunday, Jul 14, 2019 at 10:12
ThreadID: 138716 Views:4304 Replies:5 FollowUps:3
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Even though some areas have had water flow into their catchment, its quite disturbing, when you read about some major towns that will be dry within six months.

Governments talk about Millions for a sports stadium in the big smoke, but fail to
to have a plan to harvest water on the coastlines and get it inland, The cost would be astronomical for sure ,but what about the money wasted on non viable projects.

Growing up we survived on two 1000gal tanks, and a hand dug well, for all our needs, Are we taking to much for granted with our most valuable commodity?

Cheers Axle
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Reply By: Ron N - Sunday, Jul 14, 2019 at 19:42

Sunday, Jul 14, 2019 at 19:42
The answer is Yes, Yes and Yes. Google "Water Wars of the 21st Century".
I recently watched a Netflix doco called "The Future of Water".
It's a story about the conflicts between nations in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, over water supplies.
It's sobering watching, particularly the part about the population expansion in 3rd world countries.
Even more so, when those 3rd World Govts are encouraging an increase in their populations.

This century will be the century of the grab for water. Our useless politicians have about as much forward planning ability as a bunch of chimps, when it comes to ensuring water and energy security for the coming decades.

There will be civilisation collapse in many areas, as water supplies dry up. Our climate is getting drier and drier every decade.

The S.W. of W.A. has had a 30% overall reduction in annual rainfall since 1980.
Perth's and a lot of W.A.'s expansion, would have been seriously crimped by now, if it wasn't for our two desalination plants, which are both working flat out - and supplying 40% of Perth's water.

Future water reserves are something we need to address, right now, and with imagination and foresight.

Cheers, Ron.
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Follow Up By: Ron N - Sunday, Jul 14, 2019 at 20:42

Sunday, Jul 14, 2019 at 20:42
I forgot to add, when I was in short pants in the 1950's, I lived 2 kms from Gnangara Lake.
Gnangara Lake sat over the top of the Gnangara Mound, the underground aquifer that supplied ever-increasing amounts of Perth's water, for all purposes, from drinking, to market gardening, to industrial use.

The Gnangara Mound ended up supplying about 60% of Perths water requirements as the dams in the Perth Hills continued to never fill up from the 1980's onwards.

Gnangara Lake in the 1950's was crystal-clear water, like rainwater, with a purity of 99.999%.
The lake was 12 feet deep (3.66M) and you could see the sandy bottom 50 metres out from the shoreline.

But constant water demand, unlicenced bores, and unmetered water draw, saw the massive Gnangara Mound aquifer deplete to about half its original size.
Gnangara Lake totally disappeared in the 1970's, never to return.

The Gnangara Mound is still supplying a percentage of Perths water, and its level is still declining.
It's a sad state of affairs that reflects Govt mismanagement, lack of adequate water controls, poor planning and a lack of political will, and decision-making.

The Gnangara Mound recharge area continues to be built on, paved over, and generally neglected in planning considerations. There's no sign this will change, not now, nor in the future.

Cheers, Ron.
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FollowupID: 900641

Reply By: IvanTheTerrible - Sunday, Jul 14, 2019 at 20:01

Sunday, Jul 14, 2019 at 20:01
Broken Hill has just been connected to the Murray via a 270-kilometre pipeline . Cost $500 million.
Victoria is in the middle of piping most of the western half of the state.
Victoria drought proofed Melbourne with a desal plant.
Everywhere I go lately there seems to be new pipelines
AnswerID: 626727

Follow Up By: Michael H9 - Monday, Jul 15, 2019 at 07:43

Monday, Jul 15, 2019 at 07:43
If you pipe the water out of a river then the river dries up. The cotton farms at the top of the Darling show that.
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Reply By: rumpig - Sunday, Jul 14, 2019 at 20:27

Sunday, Jul 14, 2019 at 20:27
Warwick and Stanthorpe areas are not looking good currently water wise. Drove Condamine Gorge a few months ago and 90% of the crossings were dry, ones that had water were stagnant waterholes only....never seen it like that previously myself.
AnswerID: 626728

Reply By: Member - DickyBeach - Sunday, Jul 14, 2019 at 21:33

Sunday, Jul 14, 2019 at 21:33
Australia has the National Water Bank (“NWB”) holding, in the Great Artesian Basin (“GAB”), some 64,000,000,000,000 (“64e12”) Cubic Metres (CuM) of water so why don’t we withdraw at convenient places from this bank, and deposit (= discharge) elsewhere where needed, whatever is required?

Australia could not withdraw from the NWB enough water to threaten the long-term viability of the bank because Australia receives more than enough annual rainfall – averaged over (say) 5 years – to more than cover any single year’s withdrawal.

Every few years the Burdekin River in FNQ discharges into the Coral Sea more water than the Yangtse River, the 5th largest river in the word.

What is the point of having such a wonderful national asset if we don’t use it?

We claim to be the Clever Country, when are we going to demonstrate this absurd claim?

AnswerID: 626730

Follow Up By: IvanTheTerrible - Sunday, Jul 14, 2019 at 22:02

Sunday, Jul 14, 2019 at 22:02
From Wiki
"It is also the fourth-largest river in Australia by volume of flow, but is so erratic that its discharge can reach the mean discharge of the Yangtze River (after two severe cyclones in 1958) or have as many as seven months with no flow whatsoever (as in 1923). "
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Reply By: Member - bbuzz (NSW) - Monday, Jul 15, 2019 at 23:04

Monday, Jul 15, 2019 at 23:04
Money should not be a consideration when talking about water and keeping towns viable.
This country built the Snowy River and overcome obstacles that would have been considered impossible. Apparently we are going to be doing it again...Election promise!

We should be looking at all proposals for diverting water, whatever the cost.

Look at what they said about C.Y.Connor taking water to Kalgoorlie.

bill
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