The last time Sydney had water restrictions was back in 2009 and that was the reason we spent a lot of money installing a huge desalination plant to ensure that the taps will never run dry. We don't have a water shortage. We are actually surrounded by the stuff, but it is just a bit salty to be used as drinking water.
After a stint in mothballs that desalination plant is up and running once more. Warragamba dam is hovering close to half full - or half empty if you are a pessimist - and stage one water restrictions are back in force. No garden watering in the heat of the day. No hosing down paths or hard surfaces. Fines will apply but we are permitted a period of grace and there is hope the period of restrictions will be short lived.
Now would be a very good time to give some thought to Sydney's long term needs. Every year the population of greater Sydney increases and yet we are reliant on Warragamba dam for our water supply. There are plans to raise the height of the dam walls to contain more water, but that depends on greater rainfall in the catchment area and it is predicted that we face a drier future.
Water is something we take for granted and during that last shortage a remedy came into use that seemed to grip national fervour. Thousands of people enthusiastically paid to have a home water tank installed and connected to save the water that fell on their roof. In some cases the water saved was used for keeping the lawns green and the garden healthy, but others had their indoor plumbing connect from their water tank to toilet flushing and washing machine use.
That was a time many makers of water tanks vied for our business. Water tank advertising was rife in Sydney newspapers and many new home builders included a water tank as one of the reasons for choosing their new model homes. It also coincided with threatened increases in water bills and many home water tanks were installed with the joint motive of taking pressure off Warragamba - and saving money on increasing household outgoings.
When plentiful rains returned that interest in water tanks evaporated. There are thousands of homes with water collected from the roof and eventually disappearing unused into the storm water system when the storage overflows. Tank design was carefully chosen to blend with their surroundings and many water tanks are probably ready to again help Warragamba overcome this new drought cycle. If their owners put them to use.
If the pundits are right about global warming, we face a permanent water shortage because of reduced rainfall. Fortunately, coastal rainfall is fairly consistent and that is where the majority of people on this continent live. It can be very comforting to know that what falls on your roof is available as a source of drinking water for your family. The logic for having a home water tank has never been stronger.
It will be interesting to see if water restrictions renew the impetus for suburban residents to install home water tanks ?
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