Water Water everywhere and not a drop to drink

Just reading a great booklet, on water in Australia, Our water mark – Australians making a difference in water reform, published by Watermark Australia.   A complete guide to water, where it comes from, where it goes, and what we can do about it.

Something that I hadn’t realised is that the water on the planet is based upon a closed system, whereby, it’s the same water that has been there for 4 billion years, it is neither created nor destroyed, just existing in different forms, with salt or pollutants added. Okay, there may be a fraction of a percent of water created and destroyed, but it’s insignificant compared with the planet’s water that has always been around.

It kind of gives me hope knowing that we can get water from somewhere, it’s just a matter of how, and how we look after the fresh water we do have.

Australia has the eighth highest footprint of water consumption per capita, and the largest per capita domestic footprint in the world!!  Most of our water is consumed in agriculture, but it’s interesting to realise that on top of our proportionally small domestic consumption, it’s our food demand and economic lifestyle that puts the most demand on water.

Our demand is only part of the story.  It’s our collection, recycling, and stopping the evaporation of water, that contributes to the supply of water.  Like many things on this sustainability dashboard, it’s a gradual deterioration of availability of water such that we don’t notice, until it’s too late.  What can you do?

1. Read the Water Mark booklet or pdf
2. Work out how you are going to save water at home
3. Work out how you are going to save water in your working environment
4. Educate the next generation
5. Read the 20 Principles guiding water reform, and act!!