Sydney is experiencing long-term droughts, low rainfall and a high demand for water. What can we do to help solve the water crisis? Water restrictions are only a short-term fix. Other solutions are desalination and recycle water plants, water management, and artificial precipitation.

1. Water Sustainabilitythe emergent ways to address our water crisis

4. Population growth and lack of potable water (from pollution and drought) in Sydney led to the continuous search for new and larger supplies.

6. Sydney Water Crisis With a population of 4.6 million and long term drought, water restriction itself is not enough. Now we have 520GL of water. If our water inflow is further reduced by 25% to 431GL. This amount is only enough to keep our water supply for just 2 years. After a long time of drought and with insufficient rainfall, we are experiencing serious water shortage. Environmentalists call for emergent action to further reduce water use and carry out solutions to achieve water sustainability.

7. Sydney Water Crisis (continued) Effects: Immediate effects of water shortages include: • The system becomes less sustainable • Government enforced water restrictions • Crop failure due to lack of water • Import of food increase • Industrial production may decline • Increase in price for water • Water ecology stressed from decreased flows Mid-term effects include: • Large scale agriculture dies • Local farms close • Certain areas become uninhabitable • Food shortages – increase in import • Increase cost for food • Evaporation rates may increase. Long term effects include: • Large scale agriculture dies • Local farms close • Certain areas become uninhabitable • Food shortages – increase in import • Increase cost for food • Evaporation rates may increase. Where can I drink water Source: http://raviramanathan.blogspot.com/2007/05/water-shortage.html

8. Save me, I am trapped! Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/20/2039055.htm

10. Where and how much can we obtain the extra water from?

11. What can we do with the supply and demand?

12. Theoretically, can we achieve water sustainability without rainfall at all?253.21GL or 37% Save water? Save money?

14. Desalination

15. Recycling

16. Management

17. Artificial precipitation

19. Pricing policies

20. Water restriction: conservative?

21. Increasing people’s awareness

22. Water efficiency productsResource: http://www.waterrating.gov.au/

23. Expanding the Western Sydney Recycling Scheme 33 GL 13 GL 53 GL Castle Hill STP Rouse Hill STP 86,000,000,000litres of water treated to drinkingstandards annually Similar model at the West Camden, Glenfield, Liverpool and Fairfield inland treatment plants to supply 53 GL of drinking water per year. Source: Metropolitan Water Plan 2006

25. Case study: Liberal Coalition Water Plan

26. Retrofits existing STP to create a new system for recycling

28. Half the priceand twice efficient

29. Desalination plant is already being built

30. Recycling plan uses same technology as desalination i.e. reverse osmosis (RO)

31. Opportunities

34. “Toilet flushing, watering gardens and car washing accounts for approximately 40% of current total water demand.” – 2006 Metropolitan Water Plan

35. Separating recycled water for non-drinking purposes allows residents to conveniently water of lower quality for flushing toilets, washing cars watering gardens and other outdoor activities.

36. “On average the Rouse Hill scheme has reduced demand for drinking water by about 40%.” – Sydney Water

37. We believe that where feasible all new large scale residential development should adopt this system as it would be easiest to implement the system before construction and to save water in the long run.Images: Metropolitan Water Plan 2006 p. 36

39. May include Stormwater Quality Improvement Devices for removal of litter and sediments or naturalistic wetlands to filter nitrogen and phosphorus from stormwater

40. Dry basins used for storage and controlling downstream flowImages: http://www.sydneywater.com.au/SavingWater/RecyclingandReuse/RecyclingAndReuseInAction/RiverManagement.cfm

44. Environment impact