Water Conservation Efforts in Australia
While Australia is not the driest continent on the earth, it is second only to Antarctica. The key difference between the two continents is that Antarctica is not inhabited. Australia is populated and the population is growing. For far too long we have lived as though we had an abundance of water and this could not be further from the truth. There is not even enough water in some of largest rivers to still be able to make it to the sea without intervention by man and machine.
Over a decade of drought cannot even be undone by one heavy monsoon season. It will take an effort on behalf of all Australians to help reduce the amount of fresh water they use. This means learning the laws of water recycling and putting them into play in our day to day lives.
Gray Water versus Black Water
The terms grey water and black water are now better recognized and understood as increased public interest in recycling water is growing in direct proportion to our lack of water. Gray water is water that can be reused and recycled. It comes from the shower, the laundry and the kitchen. Black water is water that has been used in the toilet and is not considered recyclable without proper waste water treatment.
As the very disturbing fact that we have nearly exhausted our natural resources of water begins to hit home, people across the country have come to realize this is more than a problem confined to rural areas. The cities now bear the brunt of our past ignorance and resource abuse and the most immediate evidence is in the large number of empty swimming pools and dead flower gardens across the continent.
Some citizens have gathered together to form concerned citizen groups and to rally to the call to action in some neighbourhoods by installing home water recycling tanks. This is a problem that we all have to face together in a solution is to be found to the problem. More and more people are becoming aware of the problem thereby more and more creative solutions are being brought to the table.
The Future
The need for water conservation is imperative. We can all see the writing on the wall if we open our eyes to it. If we don’t open our eyes to the problem and begin to seek a solution, we will find ourselves hoarding water in the very near future. There are more people in Australia than the current water supply can sustain. If alterations to our lifestyles are not accepted willingly by concerned citizens, the government will be forced to begin to make more and more rules and regulations to insure right decisions are made.
Many feel we have become an increasingly “disposable” society, and a more and more urban society that sees nothing beyond instant gratification. There are huge consequences to be paid for not protecting natural resources. Each generation inherits the consequences of actions taken by prior generations. Not is it is time to demand that we look for water recycling alternatives that can be applied today instead of passing this problem down to our children. If we don’t make modifications in water use practices, the continent won’t be able to sustain the future population.