Rain fell on Wednesday in Bendigo. It was a pleasure to hear it, given that water is badly needed. By farmers, by crops, by veggie patches, by trees and grass, by waterways, by reservoirs, by urban drinkers, by the bush, by firefighters.
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Still more is needed.
As Andrew Reynolds, Executive Director River Management, Murray–Darling Basin Authority put it “rain is needed to provide surety to all water users. Everyone who uses water can be planning ahead for all scenarios, including the possibility that allocations do not improve and conditions stay dry”.
He was talking about the amount of water coming through the irrigation systems for our farmers – for water-critical crops such as fruit trees and crops that can be grown depending on water availability, such as wheat. It’s a message, however, that extends to us all.
Water will be on everybody’s lips going forward - literally and figuratively.
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Farmers are being urged by the MDBA to think about holding some of this year’s allocation for next. A buffer against a drought that shows no sign of abating and is spreading into central Victoria. “A great deal of the water in the dams and flowing in the river at the moment has been carried over by licence holders from last year,” Mr Reynolds writes. “This is a choice available to those with an allocation this year.”
The same kind of forward planning can also be done in an urban setting.
Many centres on the Eastern seaboard are in almost permanent water restriction. They have become good at husbanding water as a resource, choosing wisely where it is used.
Some of the measures are simple. Don’t let taps run. Think about using Mediterranean plants which need less water. Or putting your veggie patch into pots, rather than the ground. Install a water butt or tank to capture some extra from those currently intermittent rain showers. Shorten the time on your washing machine/dishwasher/shower. Choose the correct flush level on the toilet. Keeping the grass green (unless you have a tank) may not be the best use of your water or the cost added to your water bill. Think about all this when you turn on the tap.
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