The water question ?

Most people are convinced that the drought is over. Warragamba dam is filling nicely - and later this month it is expected to reach sixty percent capacity. Other smaller dams are full and overflowing.
This raises the question of what to do about water restrictions !
It is unlikely that we would - or should - go back to totally unrestricted use of water, given that two factors are converging on this country. Our population is steadily increasing - and we are entering a hotter world which is likely to result in less rainfall, in the future.
Half a century ago water was something that barely entered the average person's mind. It was an era when lawn sprinklers ran day and night in summer and excess water bills were something that only concerned industrial plants.
We have come a long way since then. People are now water conscious and a sustained economy campaign has seen low-flow shower heads in general use, dual flush toilets in most homes and washing machines labelled according to their water economy.
But - people expect some relief from draconian water restrictions. How this can be achieved will be an interesting exercise by the water management people. To be successful the new rules will need to be reasonable. There will need to be give and take if such a regime is to achieve wide acceptance.
Most will agree that hosing down paths and driveways is an unacceptable waste, but at the same time they will want the right to wash their cars restored. This is where compromise can play a part. Leaving a hose running while cleaning a car is wasteful. Using a spray head with trigger control is not.
Just as advertising induced people to change their shower heads and install dual flush toilets the right approach will get a positive result from water users - and compliance with reasonable restrictions.
The trick is to get the bureaucrats to think positively - and more importantly - to gauge their information sheets in language the public can understand and respond to.
Unfortunately much information from government is as incomprehensible as the instructions for operating a video recorder. Hopefully, we may now be entering the " information age ".