I can't believe it. I simply cannot believe what is about to be banned.

[Random_Australian]

The whole of Queensland - about one seventh of Australia, has already banned everything from pools and spas in holiday resorts to watering a lawn with a sprinkler. Construction projects that use pressure hoses are to be stopped, unless they can replace hoses with buckets. :(

That's right, we're almost out of water. Level Five restrictions on water.

They're already thinking about Level Six, I hear.

Practically my entire nation, with the sole exception of that depopulated state Western Australia, is running out of water.

Seriously, when people decided (after a scare campaign) that they didn't want recycled water, they ended up building the damn recyclying center anyway.

Not good. :( Soon there will not be any higher level restrictions to go to.

[SKKY]

1. I don't have any sympathy for an "Island Nation" that has water issues...

...Same thing here in Southern Spain. We get our water from a series of reservoirs that are filled by rain, but during particularly dry seasons, they get dangerously low. We're in the midst of a housing boom, and there are 6 golf courses that have been built around my area in the past 5 years, yet nothing of significance has been done to alleviate this problem. Spain is a freakin' peninsula for Christ's sake. Has anyone ever heard of a water desalination????

[Random_Australian]

2. If you mean that in the least bit seriously, take up your issues with a bit of

fucken geography.

We're an entire continent. Just because we've got some coastline, doesn't mean we can just magic water to whereever we please.

The Aussie mainland is nearly the size of the American one, remember?

And what's more, golf courses have LONG been banned from using any water. They went out with private pools.

Sports grounds and public baths are no longer allowed to use water in Queensland.

Finally, please note that you're blaming a sudden and complete lack of rain, on monumnetally huge areas of inland farms, as in those enormous things that grow crops on lack of desalination.

Pah.

[SKKY]

3. OK, my bad. An "Island Continent"...

...My other comments still stand. Instead of looking for solution, let's turn off the water and pray for rain. Nice policy.

[Random_Australian]

4. Ah, of course. Because the idea that one idea is stunningly untenable, means that

we've never thought of any other ideas. Oh no.

It's not like we're building recycling plants freaking everywhere, or holding national summits to build more, oh no. It's not like we're looking at desalination near the coast either, because when it is unusable for way inland, it means we never use any.

And finally, your comment about the golf courses doesn't stand either - like I said, that kind of wasteful crap is banned.

Pah again.

[slj0101]

24. Almost every continent is an island, Genius.

Hey, with that revelation, we just solved the world's drought problems, didn't we? Let's get a big giant hose, and skibbidy-doo!!!- problem solved.


:eyes:

[SKKY]

25. Not my revelation, got that from the below link...

...Of course I left out the "smallest continent/largest Island stuff". It didn't seem pertinent to the discussion, much like your 2 cents.

http://www.ga.gov.au/education/facts/dimensions/compare.htm

[youthere]

30. ...

I love your avatar! It's beautiful!

[QMPMom]

20. Yes, you are a whole continent unto yourselves, but are you not

also a NATION? YOu happen to be a NATION that has it's own CONTINENT. Quit splitting hairs about what you are called. Australia is BOTH.

And, would it not make sense to have desalination plants for use where it can be used easily? If memory serves, there are several major cities that are coastal and if they obtained their water through a desalination plant, it would ease the burden considerably.

[SKKY]

26. Finally, a voice of reason.

[raccoon]

28. Glad to hear that.

"golf courses have LONG been banned from using any water. "

We've still got mucho golf courses in Phoenix and other desert areas.

[raccoon]

27. Yes. But how much will desalination cost? nt

[northzax]

31. desalinazation?

very expensive, and very energy intensive.

[taterguy]

5. Won't the snow be melting from the Alps soon?

That should help your water supply right?

[Bassic]

6. I don't think the Alps can do a damn thing for Australians. nt

[taterguy]

11. I guess they're screwn. Time for this guy to fix things

[Bassic]

12. Nice diversion there buddy!

:rofl:

Duly fixed.

[taterguy]

14. Editing just to screw with another person's post is kind of rude :)

[Bassic]

15. Yeah, so what are you gonna do about it?

Cry to mommy, that's what :P

:rofl:

[taterguy]

16. My mother's dead

I'll just have to lay some flowers on her tombstone and say a prayer

[Bassic]

21. Well now, don't I feel like an idiot now....

:blush:

[taterguy]

22. No worries, I was just fucking with you :)

[Bassic]

23. Ah well, then I got screwn

:rofl:

[Random_Australian]

9. Yes, along with the friendly chatter of the Himilayan dolphins. n/t

[Bassic]

7. I can't say I know your plight.

At least not yet. In Québec we have 400 000 lakes, and we haven't yet been forced to sell it to the U.S., so plently of water for all. We do waste it a lot though, which is a damn shame.


Do you guys have this much trouble with the water supply every year?

[Random_Australian]

8. Nope. This is a bad drought - or should I say series of droughts?

Huge areas are effected, resevoirs haven't filled up between droughts, underground water is almost exhausted in many places.

2002 was the worst year since recording began. Every year it seems less and less water is around. Even Victoria, a southern, cool, agricultural state, is in 80% drought.

Soon, they will ban the use of sprinklers in commercial nurseries.

All together, not good.

But there is a small chance this year will be good, there is a La Nina on - which sometimes gives us water.

But really, I'm not holding my breath. Even the mighty Warragamba Dam is sitting on about 47% - but only when they starting pumping emergency reserve groundwater when it hit 40% the year before last. Bah, makes it sound good, but really..... the future is going to hold only more drought, it appears.

[Bassic]

10. That is rather firghtening

I guess that the country is looking into desalinization, but from what I hear, it's not easy to set up the necessary facilities.

[Random_Australian]

17. got it in one. G'night!

[wildhorses]

13. i know it is not much good but,

:hug:

sorry, to read about your nation's problems which in the end are really the world's problems also. it IS scary to me.

[Random_Australian]

18. Thanks for listening and goodnight!

[Courtesy Flush]

19. My plumber had an idea

In America there's always one part of the country that's too dry, while another region is dealing with floods. My plumber must have known he was going to be a plumber since childhood, because when he was in high school he proposed (in a school project) a pipeline system similar to oil pipelines -- re-distributing excess water to wherever it's needed.

But it sounds like Australia has no region with a surplus.

Anyway, the comment about Oz being an island is partly true. In Australia the population is highly concentrated around the coast. Desalinization could serve the bulk of the population.

[liontamer]

29. I'm sorry

I know how serious the water shortage is in australia. It's getting bad here too, but no one wants to pay attention. :hug: