The Water Crisis

THE PROBLEM

 

Melbourne uses more than 400 billion litres (400 gigalitres) of fresh water a year. 60% of that use is private households and 30% is industrial use. The other 10% is "losses from the system". 

Where do we get our fresh water from? Nearly all of it is from rivers and reservoirs. But inflows into our storage areas, have declined over the last decade... alarmingly. We use to have a long term average of 588 gigalitres a year.  That would be ok... if we use 400 and get 588 all is well. But sadly, that is no longer the annual average. Over the last 10 years the average is 387 a year. (And 2006 saw only 165). 

So we are using more than we are collecting. Not a smart move for the long term. 

 

THE CURRENT VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT SOLUTION

 

Of course the government is aware of it. They have decided on two main answers to the problem: (1) the construction of the sugar loaf pipeline to take water from the Goulburn catchment and direct it to Melbourne, and (2) a giant desalination plant at Wonthaggi. Our current Labor Government seems to always think that a major infrastructure project is the answer to almost everything. (We are all still paying for the ongoing dredging of Port Phillip Bay, for example). 

 

THE REASONS WHY THESE TWO PLANS ARE SERIOUSLY FLAWED

 

The pipeline will put further stress on an already stressed river system; it will take precious water from food growing areas, and it is using up huge amounts of energy and capital for very questionable results. I think all of us in Melbourne know is it theft - from the farming community and from the environment - but we are not all that vocal about it (after all, we can keep on wasting water if it goes ahead.... nothing needs to change right?)

 

The desalination plant is equally absurd. It is planned to create so much fresh water, that we will have more than enough to meet the current demand. That sounds ok doesn't it? Well.... We will be able to lift water restrictions off Melbournians, and all get back to wasting water again! But think about the cost:

- we will not see any urgency to pursue sustainable alternatives

- we will not improve our water useage but only encourage wasteful practices again

- the $3.5 billion (plus) is a huge cost

- it wont be government owned and so profits will motivate the operation of it, not the common good

- water costs to Victorian householders will increase substantially (hurting the most vulnerable the most of course)

- it will use 90 megawatts of power a year to operate (that is equal to creating 1 million tones of CO2 a year)

- there will be 25 to 60 tones of wet sludge being made every day, that will need to be put in landfill somewhere

- there will be 70,000 cartridge filters that need to be disposed of annually

- there will be 12,000 reverse osmosis filter membranes that need to be disposed of annually.

 

A BETTER SOLUTION

 

You know, there are better options for solving our water crisis. Consider the following:

 

1) Let’s collect and use urban storm-water.  As much water falls on Melbourne as we use in water consumption each year. If we tank every home and plumb those homes to use that water for toilet, washing machines, hot water and outside use… we would solve our crisis. It would also add to flood protection, and make our waterways cleaner (because storm water pushes so much rubbish into the waterways).

 

2) Let’s stop logging in our water catchment areas. This is one of the most stupid things we have ever allowed in Victoria. Logged catchment areas, means a lot less water being collected in the reservoirs. Re-growth sucks up much more water than mature trees. Shallow thirsty roots take so much more of the runoff than deeper mature roots. The Thompson catchment is our main water source for Melbourne. And about 2/3rds of all the water that runs into the Thompson reservoir, is collected from 1/3^rd of its catchment area (the high-rainfall Mountain Ash forests of the Baw Baw escarpment). And here is the crazy thing: all the logging going on in Thompson catchment areas, is in the most important 1/3^rd!  If we ceased the logging in water catchment areas immediately, it would take some decades to return to full flows of runoff. But it needs to be done hand in hand with the other things noted here. Environment Vic has estimated that if all logging of the water catchments stopped now, then by 2050 we would have an additional 75 GLs per annum.

 

3) Let’s recycle our water. Conservative Queensland has moved into this successfully. We can too.

 

CONCLUSION

 

I am continually frustrated that our government ignores sound and more economical solutions to the water crisis. I can only believe that they are looking after their big business mates: the logging companies; the desalination plant companies seeking to run that project, and others. Is it possible that the decisions that are being made, are nothing more than the results of political donations being made by such companies? We have to hope not. But I just cant stop wondering….