[Yardmaster]

^^ the question is, where do you catch this water.

More seriously, if weather belts continue to move polewards as a result of Global warmng, Victoria will have a climate akin to that of Geraldton or (even worse) Carnavon WA. Which would make new dams even less rewarding.

The CSIRO Atmospheric Research Unit predicted these trends five years ago.

 

[Yardmaster]

Spending the money giving people household water tanks. Plenty of water falls on my roof.

As for the global warming thing, you know desal plants use massive amounts of power right?

I thought there were already substantial incentives for people to catch rainwater off their roofs. Living in a small townhouse, it isn't really practical for me in the city: all the roof surfaces are just a few sq. metres (and since I never water my garden, trying to get the water to the toilet or the laundry in the centre of the house under a concrete slab, with party walls either side, would be a huge problem).

On the other hand, down the bush, all the water comes off the roof ... as it always has, without a Government subsidy.

Ultimately though, the government is expected to deliver "potable" water to major urban centres: and you don't get that from collecting the water from the dead rat on your roof.

 

[Yardmaster]

Not really. The hard bit is catching it in large doses. And if the fresh water doesn't fall from the sky, you're screwed. I know people who have had to live entirely off tank water and it is amazing how much rain you need on your roof to keep up the supply.

Depends on the rainfall, of course. I calculated my roof could more than adequately fill my tanks umpteen times over, but over the last few years I know a few people in southern & Central Victoria who relied on tanks but have had to resort to buying water.

The Victorian Government has made a sensible decision and hedged its bets: if it rains, they can pump water from the Goulburn (which incidentally has about thirty times the flow of the Maribyrnong). If it doesn't rain, they can turn on the desalination plant. As I've said before, there aren't many other options.

Personally, I only use 1/4 of the average consumption for households of my type (and I do occasionally wash ). Most of my water bill is the service charge, not the volume charge: I hope they double the latter rather than the former.