Water
1. DEFINITION
The Macquarie dictionary defines water as “the liquid which in a more or less impure state constitutes rain, oceans, lakes, rivers, etc., and which in a pure state is a transparent, odourless, tasteless liquid, a compound of hydrogen and oxygen, H2O”. (1)
2. BIBLE REFERENCE
Genesis 1:2
“The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters”.
3. FACTS
· Sydney has experienced three severe droughts – the first in the 1890s, the second in the 1940s and the third occurring now.
· There is a series of eleven major dams in Sydney.
· The NSW government used to rely on rainfall for Sydney’s water supply.
· There is now a focus on solutions such as groundwater and desalination.
· For ten years, 600 billion litres of drinking water per annum was used for Sydney.
·Approximately 70 percent of NSW water goes to households in Greater Sydney . (2)
· In 2001, 56 percent of Australian households admitted that they did not actively try to save water . (3)
·Only 50 percent of NSW residents attempt to conserve water while gardening . (4)
·10.5 percent of Australia’s water basins are overused . (5)
·A running tap can waste up to 17 litres of water a minute . (6)
·A dripping tap can waste more than 2000 litres of water per month . (7)
·49 percent of all indoor water is used in the bathroom . (8)
4. NSW LEGISLATION
Water Management Act 2000 No. 92 (9)
·This Act aims to “provide for the sustainable and integrated management of the water sources of the State for the benefit of both present and future generations”.
·Section 5 of the Act outlines water management principles, such as protecting and restoring water sources, floodplains and dependent ecosystems and protecting and enhancing the water quality from water sources.
·Section 6 gives the Governor authority to a State Water Management Outcomes Plan and this plan would aim to “set the over-arching policy context, targets and strategic outcomes for the management of the State’s water sources…promote the water management principles established by this Act…give effect to any government policy statement in relation to salinity strategies”.
·Section 371 of the Water Management Act 2000 constitutes the Water Administration Ministerial Corporation , which is a statutory body representing the Crown and whose affairs are to be managed by the Minister.
·Section 392 of this Act refers to the state’s water rights which is: “all water in rivers, lakes and aquifers, and all water conserved by any works that are under the control or management of the Minister, and all water occurring naturally on or below the surface of the ground”.
·To read more of this Act please visit:
http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au
5. HOW YOU CAN ACT
a) To save water (10)
·Under the Waterfix plan, for $22 in Sydney a qualified plumber can come to your home to install water saving devices and check for any leaks.
·You can get a free do it yourself water saving kit from Sydney Water.
·If you purchase a washing machine with a four star water efficiency rating then you can obtain a $150 rebate from Sydney Water.
·Check for leaks in your taps and pipes.
·Fit an aerator to all the taps in your home, they can reduce the water you use by 50 percent.
·Buy water wise products from Sydney Water, such as shower heads that reduce the amount of water you use.
·Buy a water efficient toilet with a dual flush.
·Wait until you have a full load in your dishwashing machine before you use it.
·Don’t leave the tap running while you brush your teeth.
·Rinse your dishes in a plugged sink as opposed to running them under water.
·For more information on how you can save water please visit: http://www.sydneywater.com.au/SavingWater/InYourHome/
6. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FURTHER READING
Australian Bureau of statistics, Year Book Australia,2003:
http://www.abs.gov.au
NSW Government, Parliamentary Counsel’s Office, Water Management Act 2000, No. 92:
http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au
NSW Government, Sydney Water, Saving Water in Your Home:
http://www.sydneywater.com.au/SavingWater/InYourHome/
Savewater, Australia’s leading resource on water conservation:
http://www.savewater.com.au/
Water For Life, A Water Plan from the NSW Government:
http://www.waterforlife.nsw.gov.au
(1) Macquarie Dictionary, “water”, Macquarie University, Published by Macquarie Library.
(2) First six points, section 4: Water For Life, A Water Plan from the NSW Government: http://www.waterforlife.nsw.gov.au
(3) Australian Bureau of statistics, Year Book Australia, 2003:
http://www.abs.gov.au
(4) Ibid.
(5) Ibid.
(6) NSW Government, Sydney Water, Water for life, saving water in you home: http://www.sydneywater.com.au/SavingWater/InYourHome/InTheLaundry/
(7) Ibid.
(8) Ibid.
(9) NSW Government, Parliamentary Counsel’s Office, Water Management Act 2000, No. 92: http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au
(10) All points in section 5: NSW Government, Sydney Water, Saving Water in Your Home: http://www.sydneywater.com.au/SavingWater/InYourHome/