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Talking Headlines - by Bill Green

 

IF THERE IS LITTLE SPRING RAIN MELBOURNE WILL HAVE TO SHIP IN WATER

September 2nd 2008 00:51
This year Barcelona shipped water in for their tourist season. At a cost of $34m there were six ships a month for three months. Each ship had enough water for 180,000 people for a day. Melbourne is going to need more.

Remember the warning early this year from department of sustainability and environment: Melbourne won't have water if we have the same rainfall in 2008 as we had in 2007. Well, we haven't had the same, we've had less.

It's not that the reservoirs are going to be empty, it's just that if the levels drop another 20% our water will be unfit to drink. Just like Barcelona. It's not that I'm trying to be news conscious and begin covering the short term future too early, it's just that I haven't heard any state government plans to

ship water in from Tasmania or Queensland to prevent social breakdown in the city.

Let's have some plans guys. In the central gold fields the water catchments were down to 5% last summer and the water was undrinkable without filters that removed chemicals and lead. The good news for us is that we've had enough rain to allow run-off to our reservoirs, the next time it rains.
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2 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Cibbuano

September 2nd 2008 02:24
I thought it rains often in Melbourne? I assume the Sydney reservoirs are fine, after that miserably rainy summer, and the rainier winter!

Comment by Bill Green

September 3rd 2008 03:02
Hi Cibbuano, Sydney will never be without water. Unfortunately Victoria, the bread basket of the country, is destined for bone dry winters. A clue to climate change was given last summer. In a week of top temperatures, and in drought time, a dam five kilometres from where we live was discovered with an iceberg. After 37 m of hail and rain in thirty minutes, there was a cold snap. The hail that had been washed into the dam and was melting was snap frozen and there was a covering of ice. I have never heard of such an event in summer. Five k from that dam we received no rain. However the official recording for the area included the 37m and so the rainfall records make it appear we are having a reasonable annual rainfall.

The predicted change to central Victoria's weather is that hail will be more prevalent. Hope it's some years away.

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