16 December 2008

Water use signs in perfect harmony

16 December 2008 | johnboy

There’s been a rumour going around that the roadside water usage signs are presenting different results at any given time. If true that would do little to enhance community confidence in the water conservation message.

Between 11am and midday today I made a study of the signs on the Barton Highway, Barry Drive, and the Tuggeranong Parkway.

I am happy to report that the rumours are completely untrue.

All three signs are reporting yesterday’s usage to be 129 megalitres, 10 under the target (yay us!).

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monomania3:45 pm 19 Dec 08

How does it suit the government to p.ss off voters? How does it suit Actew to sell less of its product at a fixed price? Please, enlighten us all, oh insightful angry one.

Just got out of the straight jacket Woody. Hardly any foam. The Government has a target to reduce unrestricted water use by 25%. They originally came up with this policy before any water problems. Purpose, to delay the need to build a new dam until 2023 or after. The longer Actew can keep the perception of water scarcity the more likely the targets will be reached even if they have to build the dam 15 years early. Every one still gets paid regardless of Actew’s profit. VY, at present we take about 45GL out of the system and return 27GL or so through the treatment works plus some storm water runoff. Environmental flows, that is deliberate releases from dams are necessary. We reached 31% because for several years before that these releases were significantly higher than they needed to be. Actew did have the capacity to pull water levels from 31% to 52% even with below average rainfall. However we have been sitting at about 52% for 5 months without excessive water demand. The snow job is so effective that reducing restrictions is likely to have more fallout than keeping them up.

chewy1411:14 am 18 Dec 08

VY,
I think last year it was about 15GL. Which is 25% of a years consumption.
There is always the argument about environmental flows, but do we let the rivers die?
Anyway the information about the reasons for the releases are in the Government’s guidelines on the TAMS website.

sepi10:32 am 18 Dec 08

“One in seven plants at the botanic gardens have died under these water restrictions – a very shortsighted decision to treat a national treasure so strictly.”

I heard this on an interview with ABC radio quite a while ago.
They don’t have any exemptions to the water restrictions, unlike builders etc, despite trying to maintain rare plants and rainforest zones full of birds etc.

They also lost money in the efficiency dividend debacle, and cut staff. It sounded like a really depressing place to work right now.

Still nice for a visit though!
Best visit soon while there’s still any plants left.
I really don’t understand why people have it in for gardens, in the nane of saving the environment – gardens are the environment.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy9:47 am 18 Dec 08

Thanks for that. How much water are we talking? Wouldn’t it be better to fill the dams first?

chewy149:36 am 18 Dec 08

VY,
The water being released is set by the ACT Government’s Guidelines for Environmental flows.
There would be no point in Actew trying to keep the dams low because their profit is pretty much guaranteed.
If they wanted to keep the dams low they wouldn’t have been pumping water out of the Murrumbidgee and putting it in Googong dam. This is pretty much what kept us from going into stage 4 restrictions this year and last.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy9:09 am 18 Dec 08

How much water is Actew releasing at the moment? Are they trying to fill the dams up?

Just curious.

tylersmayhem8:59 am 18 Dec 08

One in seven plants at the botanic gardens have died under these water restrictions – a very shortsighted decision to treat a national treasure so strictly.

Are you sure Sepi?! Surely there would have been an exception made for the botanical gardens if the grass over the Parly House can stay green?!

Woody Mann-Caruso8:56 am 18 Dec 08

It suits the government to maintain this water scare, and what suits the government suits Actew.

How does it suit the government to p.ss off voters? How does it suit Actew to sell less of its product at a fixed price? Please, enlighten us all, oh insightful angry one.

sepi9:46 pm 17 Dec 08

I really think it is time to start watering local ovals and parks, and the botanic gardens.

One in seven plants at the botanic gardens have died under these water restrictions – a very shortsighted decision to treat a national treasure so strictly.

monomania7:24 pm 17 Dec 08

What are you, a pack of school kids wanting encouragement from the teacher. The targets are arbitary figures dreamed up by Actew. They take no account of temperatures, how hard evaporative coolers are working in homes offices and shopping centres or how long since it rained. Of course there are days when they will be exceeded. Now people want instructions from nanny about how long to shower and don’t mind being treated as fools with the don’t water, it rained yesterday type of message. There is no chance of not having water to drink. There may have been a short period when there was the threat of stage 4. Preceeding that Actew released more water than it needed to. How hard are they really trying to get the dam levels up now. How much water reserve is enough, 108GL like now or won’t Actew be happy until all the dams are full. It suits the government to maintain this water scare, and what suits the government suits Actew.

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