Category: Water

US experience: "Lakes can be used to capture stormwater, as demonstrated in Canberra. Large quantities of water can be stored underground. Adelaide uses urban stormwater, where water goes through a holding storage and a constructed wetland before being fed into a brackish aquifer and recovered at drinking-water quality. The holding basin and a cleansing reed-bed reduces nutrient and pollutant loads by up to 90 per cent. Aquifer recovery fields operate at 60 US sites, where it is seen as an effective means of storing large volumes of water at low cost. The success of aquifer storage in Florida has led to 25 new projects.

Preventing saline-intrusion: "… A key aspect of aquifer recharge is to protect the beneficial uses of the ground water. In some cases, stormwater would improve the water quality in aquifers close to the coast of Brisbane where the ground water is brackish and not currently usable. Monitoring at the Port of Brisbane shows ground water is some 2m below the surface at most locations and is in transition from a saline to freshwater system. Injection of fresh water can prevent seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers and still provide a useful urban storage. Generally before injection into an aquifer, stormwater will need to be cleansed in sediment basins, reedy wetlands or by using sand filters.

Can be used directly: "When extracted it may be possible to be used directly for parks and golf courses. But for human consumption, reverse osmosis is likely to be used to remove heavy metals and other contaminants. Capturing stormwater will reduce the pollution of Brisbane’s creeks and could avoid the environmental impacts of building dams," Wylie added.

Reference: Dr Peter Wylie is a researcher and consultant, specialising in environmental issues, including water, energy, climate change and sustainable farming. He can be reached at peter@horizonrural.com.au

The Courier Mail, 3/11/2007, p. 55

Three projects identified by VFF: "On 3 October the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) responded to the food bowl committee’s report. Firstly, it endorsed savings of at least 225 gigalitres. Secondly, it said that any savings in excess of 225 gigalitres …should be shared equally between farmers and the environment… In recent talks with the government, the VFF identified three projects that could provide up to 250 gigalitres of water savings in the Goulburn Murray irrigation district for future investments.

One million dollars to be invested: "What we have is a project which is about investing $1 billion in modernising irrigation infrastructure…paid for by $600 million from the state government through the budget, plus $300 million from Melbourne Water plus $100 million locally — and it is about securing those savings and splitting them three ways," said Brumby.

Reference: John Brumby, Premier of Victoria, Legislative Assembly, Victoria, 9 October 2007.

Erisk Net, 8/11/2007

Plumbing designed to keep options open: "Stage 2, the next phase to be introduced next year, will require the plumbing of new homes be done to ensure that they can be connected to an approved alternative water supply at a later date. An alternative water supply might be a water tank, a bore, or pipes for recycled water.

Garden lovers need alternative supply…: "New homes with a high water demand for landscaping will need an approved alternative water supply for appropriate non-potable use.

…big water users too: "New homes with a high water demand for internal use will also need an approved alternative water supply for appropriate non-potable use.

Good guide for existing homes: "While codes will be mandatory for all new homes approved from September 2007, owners of existing homes can also use the ratings tools under 5 Star Plus to find out how to make savings around their existing homes.

Easy retrofitting: "The great part about the initiatives in this phase of the building codes is that they are things that, in many cases, can be retrofitted into our homes. People can change their taps, update their hot water systems and look to the new standards as a way of improving the energy efficiency in their home.

Building costs to go up: "Will it cost more to build a house? This is one of the questions that has been floating around in this debate. It is viable to introduce these as universal standards because best change comes slowly. When we look at how we want to change things, we must inspire a little bit of new momentum and thinking on an issue that builds up over a number of years.

Aim to challenge status quo: "From there, in this case, we can inspire builders and providers to begin implementing it, who then begin to build up a culture in the industry until a critical mass is reached, at which stage we can make everyone comply and try to force those who have not been self-motivated to introduce those standards.

Little red tape: "The great thing also about 5 Star Plus is that it has not resulted in more red tape. The benefits to the consumer of 5 Star Plus are considerable because they will result in lower water and energy bills.

75pc reduction of hot water bill: "For example, by changing from an electric hot water system to a solar hot water system and using an efficiently controlled booster, the hot water bill in Perth will reduce by about 75 per cent. That will add up to thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the system and offset the initial extra expense considerably.

Reference: Legislative Council of Western Australia, Thursday 6 September 2007 – Clerk of the Legislative Council and Clerk of the Parliaments – Building Sustainability Index – 5 Star Plus Scheme.

Erisk Net, 22/10/2007

More waste-water necessary: A Water Commission spokesperson said the cost of Western Corridor recycled water should be assessed on a whole-of-life basis rather than simply on initial output levels, which would be expected to pick up once the drought broke and restrictions were eased. However, without additional sources of waste-water, there would barely be enough water to supply South East Queensland’s power stations, let alone provide extra potable water for two million residents.

Grey water could be used: National water officials were not aware of more expensive water anywhere in the world. The Queensland Water Commission had been searching without success for viable waste-water sources for the past six months — yet had turned a blind eye to one of the most obvious. Tens of millions of litres of grey water diverted into gardens and yards each day could be sent down the drain for recycling. It said the Government had been fooling residents when it masked a pipeline cost blowout with the announcement it would have a capacity of 300 million litres a day. The so-called increase in capacity meant nothing in the absence of increased water.

Dams about to fall 20 per cent below capacity: SEQ dams were on track to fall below 20 per cent of capacity next month without further heavy rain.

The Courier Mail, 16/10/2007, p. 4

$2 billion Australian water fund untouched; not a single drop of environmental flow has gone back into Murray: Labor questions Govt commitment

Although the 500 gigalitres of water the Federal Government had committed to putting back into the Murray was only a third of what was needed, even that had not been achieved over the last three years, said Labor’s shadow Treasurer Simon Crean in the Federal Parliament on 14 August 2007.

Another election promise: "If you simply look at the water initiatives, you see that we have a government presiding over the worst drought in recorded history and it actually cut funding in terms of water," Crean said. "The only time it made a commitment to new funding, short of this latest initiative that we are debating, was just before the introduction of the water fund. This was part of the Prime Minister’s ‘drunken sailor spree’ — $60 billion spent in total by the government to get itself reelected. The problem with the $2 billion Australian water fund is that it has not been spent. So here we have a promise being made just before an election to get themselves into the frame of looking active, yet the funding has not been committed.

Commitment to spend five-fold increase doubted: "Worse, not a single drop of environmental flow has gone back into the Murray, even though, at the same time as making that $2 billion commitment, they committed to putting 500 gigalitres back into the Murray. We say that the 500 gigalitres was deficient. We argued, and actually proposed, that it be 1,500 gigalitres. That was our policy. The government not only committed to merely going a third of the way; in the three years since, not one drop of water has gone into the Murray as a result of that commitment. Here we are, three years down the track, with another election pending, and we have another commitment. But it is not $2 billion this time; it is $10 billion. It is five times as much — but, as we know, with all the wriggle room in the world by which the government, if it is to be re-elected, can get out of making that spend."

Reference: Simon Crean, Shadow Treasurer for the Australian Labor Party, Member for Hotham, House of Representatives, Commonwealth, 14 August 2007.

Erisk Net, 19/8/2007

Combined project to deliver 232 megalitres: "This milestone is the first step in implementing the largest recycled water scheme in the Southern Hemisphere," Beattie said, "and demonstrates my government’s commitment to ensuring a reliable, climate resistant water supply that will satisfy our needs now and for future generations. When the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project is complete at the end of 2008, it will link all three of the world-class advanced water treatment plants at Luggage Point, Gibson Island and Bundamba with the Wivenhoe Dam. These plants combined will provide up to 232 megalitres of purified recycled water to the power stations and Wivenhoe Dam each day via 200 kilometres of pipeline. This is enough to satisfy more than a third of the region’s current daily water use. To date, more than 1.7 million working hours have been dedicated to ensuring that the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project is completed on time, and I am sure that members join with me … in commending their efforts."

Reference: Peter Beattie, Premier and Minister for Trade, Member for Brisbane Central ALP, Legislative Assembly, Queensland, 4 September 2007.

Erisk Net, 22/9/2007