For our response to the Report into Melbourne's Future Water Supply (June 2009) see here.

 

Future options have been suggested by a range of groups and researchers. Here we rely largely on the work of Neil Rankine of Your Water Your Say, recent material from the Victorian Water Forum, and Environment Victoria. See below for full references.

To source our water in a responsible and sustainable manner we should:

* Cease logging in Melbourne’s catchments (this would yield between 50 and 75 billion litres – or Gigalitres (GL) a year by 2050). This will also have substantial ecological benefits through increased flow into our river systems. Research by the ACF suggests that ending logging in our water catchments will yield substantial flows north of the divide into the Goulburn and hence Murray systems -  an additional 3,800 gigalitres over the course of the century.

* Fast track the upgrade of the Eastern Treatment Plant to allow production of drinking standard water (this would provide an additional 115 to 150 GL a year by 2012).  In October 2006, the Victorian government announced that a $300 million upgrade of the Eastern Treatment Plant to produce Class A recycled water would begin in 2007 and would be completed in 2012. This is a great development, we need to move forward as quickly as possible with ensuring appropriate re-use of all water from this plant as a matter of urgency.

A significant additional benefit of this would be an end to ocean outfall at Gunnamatta beach.

This water can also be used in industrial uses in Melbourne and the Latrobe Valley. At present, large volumes of high quality drinking water are being diverted from the  Tanjill and Tyers catchments east of Melbourne to be turned into steam by the Latrobe valley power industry. While there are new water efficiency measures being put in place, water use still appears to be over 20 billion litres (20 GL) a year in these plants. The Maryvale pulp mill, also located in the Latrobe Valley uses over 20 GL of quality water per year and could instead use treated sewage from the Eastern treatment plant. This would allow the high quality water from the Tanjil and Tyers to be put into our drinking water supplies. As we transition to a sustainable future, it will be difficult to justify coal fired power at all, or pulp mills drawing feedstock from native forests. Renewable energy uses vastly less water than coal. However, given that these plants do exist at present and use large quantities of good quality water, we should be shifting them to recycled water as a matter of urgency, and the pipeline required to deliver this water could be available for  sustainable manufacturing which will be established in the Latrobe Valley.

The government has committed to increasing water recycling and made various financial commitments to this end in recent years. In 2008 Premier  Brumby said recycled water was now being used at record levels in Melbourne, proof that if there is political will and financing we can go far further.

* Complete an upgrade of the Western Treatment plant (it is expected that this would yield around 15 GL per annum).

* Set a range of consumer, industry and distribution system efficiencies (estimated yield is 37 GL). Amended requirements for new building stock, such as an extra pipe system for recycled water in all new homes, could reduce need for water by up to 75%.
* Institute stormwater harvesting and substitution for drinking water in domestic and commercial uses, parks, sporting ovals and golf courses, and recharge of aquifers. A very conservative figure of 40GL could be available by 2015. Research from Monash University suggests that up to 200 GL may eventually be able to be captured and re-used in the metropolitan area.

* Rollout of rainwater tanks in 5% of suitable homes per year (this would provide an additional 5.25GL/annum. The Victorian Water Forum says that yields of up to 100GL are achievable). This would require increased rebates to households, and making tanks mandatory on new buildings.

The job yield of such a program would be substantial. According to the Rainwater Industry Development Group, a roll out of tanks on 10% of Victorian households per year would could create up to 550 jobs directly and 1,600 indirect jobs in the state. Similar programs in regional towns and cities would generate similar employment benefits.

Greater use of tanks in urban areas would also help enshrine an approach of mindfulness and care about how we relate to water.

* Set sector-specific water conservation targets for commercial and industrial water users.
* We should develop incentives for the replacing of road and car parks with permeable surfaces and hard gutters and concrete storm drains with swales, vegetated roadside dips and re-naturalised watercourses to slow runoff and allow it to infiltrate or be collected for treatment and re-use.

 

Further information:

Supply and Demand Analysis: Melbourne’s Water. Research Conducted by Neil Rankine
Available at:
http://www.yourwateryoursay.org/wp-content/uploads/neil_ywys-supplydeman...

Water Security, Healthy Rivers, produced by Environment Victoria, November 2008. Available at: http://www.envict.org.au/

Victorian Water Forum, Water: it's a No-Brainer leaflet, December 2008

Target 155 – stop logging our catchments
http://www.target155.org.au/Target155/Your_Water.html

Stop logging our catchments

http://www.greenlivingpedia.org/Stop_logging_Melbourne_water_catchments

Get active!

Many people are already changing their personal water use habits. This is necessary but we also need community action to ensure the government adopts sound water policy. Please:

•     write to your local papers and the dailies expressing your concerns about water policy and the need for alternatives to desalination and the North – South pipeline
•     write to the Premier and the Minister for Water, explaining your concerns
•     join our new water campaign, send your email address to cam.walker@foe.org.au

There are resources for further action, including contact details for your local and state-level media at: http://www.melbourne.foe.org.au/

Produced by Friends of the Earth Melbourne, Box 222, Fitzroy, 3065
Ph (03) 9419 8700, foe@foe.org.au
http://www.melbourne.foe.org.au/
December 2008