Water use blowing out

“But, I’d still like the opportunity to wash my car at home one weekend a month.”

So get a tank HC.

With 100% of our roof connected to our 9000L tank, both toilets, the external taps and the washing machine (but no garden yet) can’t put a dint in it. The occasional rain we’ve had have kept it full to the brim since we moved in.

Funny thing was getting a warning notice from ACTEW when one of their staff spied me hosing mud off the driveway and front steps. The staff member was apparently a local so should have been aware that all houses in the estate have to have tanks installed, so there was a good chance the water being used was tank water.

Stupid thing was that advice it was tank water was not good enough. They had to come out and inspect it first. And standing next to the pump and hearing it turn on when the garden tap was turned on was also still not good enough. Just dunking a chlorine testing strip into the water to check the tank wasn’t filled up from town water was not good enough either. They had to take three samples to be sent off for analysis. Results still outstanding weeks later. Eventually the warning will be expunged from the records. Such a stupid waste of staff and resources. “Tank water in use” sign now affixed to letter box.

Irony of it was that I was hosing the mud away prior to the 200 people coming through our house for Sustainable House Day!

I’m more than happy to comply with the residential water restrictions, most of them are common sense in any case. But, I’d still like the opportunity to wash my car at home one weekend a month.

WMC and RuffnReady – neither of your posts refutes that there is, essentially, a finite amount of water on the planet, in various forms (including as part of living organisms). Are you refuting this?

RuffnReady – some of your points above look nice, but really only say that there are more people who want to use water and it isn’t appearing in convenient locations through natural means. I note, though, that your points 1 and 5 effectively say ‘use less even though there are more and more people’. This is fine for the short term, but it’s not a long term solution. What if we had never built dams to start with?

The point I was making is that we need to be cleverer about how we get access to water. This will have several aspects, including moving water from one location to another, changing it’s form (ie so it is suitable for our purposes and sufficiently clean), and controlling demand. As such, we have options in how we choose to solve the problem, but doing some or all of these things. My point was that we need to look at how to solve the problem of supplying water from a higher level perspective than simply repeating the rhetoric that some environmental ‘supporters’ bleat.

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

Facts are useless. You can prove anything that’s even remotely true with facts. Facts, shmacts.

The reality is that there is a more or less constant amount of water on planet earth…So it becomes a business logistics problem

Another graduate of the Pauline Hanson School of Economics.

Some facts are useful, like knowing how much water we use and who it goes to, which we do know, because it is measured and published every year by multiple sources including the regulator.

PsydFX said :

RuffnReady said :

Car washes, which you mention twice, are required to use recycled water.

If you are going to whinge, try researching the topic first and get the facts straight.

I think you will find they are required to recycle the water they use, but not limited to only using it.

Sure, but they are no longer huge water users as was implied, and exaggerated. The point that was being made was that residence aren’t using much water in Canberra, which is patently false.

Overheard is absolutely right – SEP is the greatest problem sustainability faces. It’s not the government’s problem, it’s not business’ problem, its not someone else’s problem, IT’S ALL OF OUR PROBLEM! We all work, right? Well, we can make a difference there. We all live somewhere, right? We can make a difference there too. It is OUR problem, and no-one is immune to it.

Facts are useless. You can prove anything that’s even remotely true with facts. Facts, shmacts.

The reality is that there is a more or less constant amount of water on planet earth…So it becomes a business logistics problem

Another graduate of the Pauline Hanson School of Economics.

As for peter’s idea of pumping LBG into the water supply, not such a good idea. Back in the last century there were miners up in Captain’s Falt, and a lot of the tailings ended up settling in the Lake… I wonder if the water, or the soil that forms the base of the Lake, are tested for heavy metals like lead and cadmium?

RuffnReady said :

Car washes, which you mention twice, are required to use recycled water.

If you are going to whinge, try researching the topic first and get the facts straight.

I think you will find they are required to recycle the water they use, but not limited to only using it.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy said :

I’m a little suprised at all the hassles over ‘saving water’. The reality is that there is a more or less constant amount of water on planet earth, in solid, liquid and gaseous forms, and this water moves through a fairly well understood cycle. We are not ‘running out’ of water. So it becomes a business logistics problem – how do we get the water from where it is to where we want it, in the form we want, for the best possible cost? I think that if we look at it more in these terms, we would have a lot less emotion and angst about the whole thing.

Hmmmmm, what a terrible argument.

1. population increase has put pressure on water resources – going from 1 to 7 billion people in a century will do that. The world is actually at or above its sustainable water consumption threshold – see any of the world’s major intergovernmental water thinktanks.

2. per capita residential consumption of about 260L/day/person in Canberra in 2006, is quite significant – 95kl/person/yr, or 32.3Gl/yr for the city’s residences, and about 50GL for the whole city.

3. rainfall patterns are shifting due to climate change – see CSIRO research on the subject – which means less rain is falling in the SE in catchments like the Snowies and Warragamba.

4. water is necessary to sustain the living systems that enable our economies to thrive – see unfolding disaster in the Murray-Darling Basin.

5. the cheapest way to solve the water problem is to waste less – build houses properly, train people to realise the importance of water as a resource WITH LIMITS. Large-scale techno-fixes generally cost far more to everyone than simple changes to fixtures and behaviour. eg. Sydney’s desal. plant will consume nearly 5MWh of electricity for every kl of water supplied, which is incredibly wasteful. Reduce, reuse, recycle.

So, really, not a terribly simple problem, and the only cheap solution is treating fresh water like the valuable resource it is.

And yes, I do this for a living. It is called human ecology.

Felix the Cat said :

Domestic water use is just a drop in the ocean so to speak. Building industry uses heaps, not only for making concrete, there’s watering down the dust or adding water to help compact the soil at building sites. Plenty of other businesses guzzle water. Car detailing, laundries, restaurants, car washes and plant nurseries just to name a few.

Actually, residences aren’t a “drop in the ocean”, they account for about 60% of consumption – see ICRC annual reports. That is more than any other application by a long way, not a “drop in the ocean”.

Car washes, which you mention twice, are required to use recycled water.

If you are going to whinge, try researching the topic first and get the facts straight.

> in summer?

It is sometimes closed in summer, mostly it’s fine though. Closed for a few days here & there.

or maybe, just maybe, business and industry need to cut back, not just gardeners.

That I can’t argue with Sepi – spot on!

justbands said :

> prevent us from utilising it for swimming purposes. how many times have we heard of the lake being closed due to bluegreen algae?

I swim in there all the time, was in a race on Saturday in there even.

The water was nice, quite clear even.

& it’s hardly ever closed for bluegreen algae.

in summer?

> prevent us from utilising it for swimming purposes. how many times have we heard of the lake being closed due to bluegreen algae?

I swim in there all the time, was in a race on Saturday in there even. The water was nice, quite clear even.

& it’s hardly ever closed for bluegreen algae.

The Governess’s General place uses lake water and her garden is VERY nice.

the lakes are, as you mention, ornamental. lets start to use them, instead of just looking at them.

You are joking, aren’t you?

hey they need cleaning up a bit, but there was a time when i would happily paddle about in a rubber dinghy at lake ginninderra, we had school days there, and the water was semi clear.

now, I would have to block my ears, nose and wear a mask.
the water is quite foul.

the other lakes are the same, i believe. they need a good flush out, a clean up and perhaps the destruction of a few thousand carp. (pick me! pick me!)

found a few links, the forbes article is very interesting, especially the proposed costs for water usage in the US.

http://www.yvw.com.au/yvw/YourHome/YourAccount/AccountChargesExplained/_default.htm

http://www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/files/Submission%20-%20SWC%20Price%20Review%20effective%2001%20July%202008%20-%20Individual%20-%20Kevin%20Cox%20-%2026%20September%202007%20-%20WEBSITE%20DOCUMENT.PDF

http://www.sawater.com.au/SAWater/YourAccount/UnderstandingYourAccount/Pricing+Information.htm

http://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecolec/v66y2008i2-3p506-516.html

http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/14/california-supply-demand-oped-cx_dz_0715water.html

I am somewhat interested in the idea of approaching the problem from pricing rather than the current restriction system we have now. Perhaps a graduating scale.

How effective it would actually be though, I have no idea.

Is anyone aware of any feasibility studies on this issue?

johnboy said :

Peter have you ever thought of getting a sense of proportion?

Our ornamental lakes are small and essentially settling ponds for storm water run-off.

ok, it would make sense to at least empty out LBG, clean it up, and then allow it to re-fill. the levels of sediment from storm water run off, not forgetting the fertilisers, animals etc that make their way into the lake, prevent us from utilising it for swimming purposes. how many times have we heard of the lake being closed due to bluegreen algae? and what archaeological marvels are there, in the lake?

The water, so as not to waste it, could be pumped into the catchment dams – providing us with a bit more of a buffer, for the periods to come where water is very scarce and precious indeed.

I could take my kids down to the lake, like in the good old days, use it as a swimming and bbq spot.

nothing is more annoying on a stinking hot day to see water that you cannot swim in, even though there are swimming areas…

oh, and our small ornamental lakes have changed the weather here in canberra. before LBG was there, it used to snow in acton. I have seen photos of snow ploughs in operation, clearing the roads… The lake put a stop to that, as it acts as a heat sink. Our weather has changed for the worse, storms go around, rain falls away from the catchment.

I have a sense of proportion. If we continue to lose water through ecological flows, the dams drying up, the bores emptying the water table, this place will slowly become nasty about water. I remember the rumours about Actew employing water inspectors – to catch out wastrels. How long till a neighbor, watching some oik watering his driveway, erupts into water rage?

the lakes are, as you mention, ornamental. lets start to use them, instead of just looking at them.

Peter have you ever thought of getting a sense of proportion?

Our ornamental lakes are small and essentially settling ponds for storm water run-off.

why don’t we just drain the lakes, pump it into the dams, they would go to 100% and we can have todd river style boat races on the lakes. Keep a couple of areas for the native fish, turn the left over weed into fertiliser, with the carp.

JB – I’m warming up to the idea of charging more for water – although more so it will make business pay attention, not households.

But realistically the rich can now have great gardens – they have bores sunk in those huge places in red hill. Or they can just buy a truck of water to fill their tank.

I’m not saying get rid of restrictions. Just ease them back a bit, and introduce some real ones for business/industry.

At the moment it is really not their problem.

– I like the SEP thingy though.

How about ‘someone else’s problem innit’ or SEPI.

Or charge properly for the damn stuff and let people decide for themselves how best to expend their resources.

A lot of business could be much smarter with water if they had an incentive to be.

Yes it means the rich have a nicer garden.

Guess what? They have nicer everything else too. Get over it.

Industry’s too blame. Business is to blame. Let’s crack down on everyone else but me.

Until we shake the ‘SEP’ mentality, we’ll keep losing the battle on this front and many others.

SEP = someone else’s problem (thank you, Douglas Adams).

> But I’m not allowed to water my plants daily.

I still can’t believe your attitude sepi, not at all. My garden is doing just fine, it’s lovely even….water restrictions or not.

or maybe, just maybe, business and industry need to cut back, not just gardeners.

Maybe, just maybe, the water targets are unrealistic . . .

Or maybe, just maybe humans are not intelligent enough to make responsible decisions and need to be flogged with a big stick and forced to be responsible.

I’m a little suprised at all the hassles over ‘saving water’. The reality is that there is a more or less constant amount of water on planet earth, in solid, liquid and gaseous forms, and this water moves through a fairly well understood cycle. We are not ‘running out’ of water. So it becomes a business logistics problem – how do we get the water from where it is to where we want it, in the form we want, for the best possible cost? I think that if we look at it more in these terms, we would have a lot less emotion and angst about the whole thing.

You ain’t seen nuffin. Just wait till the Greens’ eco-fascisma is in control …

Maybe, just maybe, the water targets are unrealistic . . .

Yep – The Chronicle front page is about daily ‘watering’ of the dirt carpark in Kingston to keep the dust down.

But I’m not allowed to water my plants daily.

Domestic water use is just a drop in the ocean so to speak. Building industry uses heaps, not only for making concrete, there’s watering down the dust or adding water to help compact the soil at building sites. Plenty of other businesses guzzle water. Car detailing, laundries, restaurants, car washes and plant nurseries just to name a few.

Is it not amazing that on weekends and especially long week ends the water useage decreases? Maybe to do with the use of water by the contruction industry and making concrete?