Canberra water supply, sensible
options sidelined by Govt in thrall of
IPCC climate models.
One specific reason for the choice of the location of the Australian
Capital Territory (ACT) nearly 100 years ago, was the hilly terrain and
rivers with potential
to make a water supply for the future community.
July 2010 page discussing Environmental Flows and Releases
Canberra water is now provided by a joint venture between ACTEW (the Govt owned ACT Electricity &
Water) and AGL Energy Ltd the listed giant utility
group ($5Bill market capitalisation) which was once the
Australian Gaslight Company.
The ACTEW / AGL JV is explained here
ACTEW-AGL provide a useful map of catchments and dam locations
With links to other useful information. But nothing on rainfall
history, that I have found.
It is over 30 years since the Googong Dam was built in nearby NSW for
the ACT water supply and this is the largest by far of the Canberra
dams.
The Cotter Dam was completed in 1915, Bendora dam was completed in
1961, Corin Dam in 1968.
The situation at present seems to be that
the Govt has decided to build a demonstration Water Purification Plant
(WPP) but despite the dry spell lasting since 2001, no start has been
made to upgrade the Cotter dam which is a vastly cheaper
option but the Govt says plans will be ready in April 2008.. The
WPP represents the expensive "drinking your own
treated sewage option" that has been bandied around the media since the
Mayor of Towoomba in SE Qld got to be a prominent advocate.
Pessimistic and doomster conclusions from CSIRO (IPCC) climate
modelling thoroughly pervade all the Govt and ACTEW-AGL policy reaction
to the post 2001 dryer period. ACTEW-AGL policies will lead
to unnecessarily expensive water for ACT consumers.
Like many Australian cities Canberra has seen dam levels drop following
the start of a period of low rain years in 2001. The graphic of
Uriarra composite rainfall is produced from Huntly (1957-2007), then
Uriarra Forest 1911-2002, Uriarra Woodside 1897-1933 and Uriarra
Homestead 1887-1900. Using the overlapping periods, data was adjusted
to the longest record, Uriarra Forest.
The graphic shows that the recent dry spell can be seen as a return to
rain levels prevalent from 1895 to 1945 and is nothing exceptional or
unprecedented. There is no need to panic into thinking the climate is
irrevocably changing for the worse, as the Govt is doing. More
rainfall data relevant to the ACT is being sought.
There are articles at times in the Canberra media critical of the Govt
and ACTEW-AGL on water supply issues and we will look at these as they
come to our attention.
A Canberra Times web site carries many "Letters to the Editor" with
excellent comments critical of the ACT Govt and ACTEW. Three letters on
03 February 2007
Three letters on 15 September 2007;
Several on 2 May 2007 more to come
On 31 March 2008 the Canberra Times carried a full page
article, "Revamp of water services a priority",
By Patrick Troy.
I have numbered
the paragraphs in this article and have several comments on
specific paragraphs where I think Professor Troy could do some extra
research or provide Canberra Times readers with more
information. If anyone has other comments they can email to sanur2007
at sign warwickhughes.com or enter comments at my Blog
Letter to the Editor by Greg O'Regan of Farrer the next day; "Decision
to dismiss Tennent dam grave error by ALP", Canberra
Times 1 Apr 08.
Many links to water articles mainly by Professor Quentin Grafton and
Visiting Fellow Terence Dwyer at this page of
the ANU CRAWFORD SCHOOL of
Economics and Government
http://www.crawford.anu.edu.au/events/announcements/news.php
These are so useful I have made a list going back to end March 2007
and have pasted text in where available.
Links to various ACTEW policy papers and other relevant media
The Cotter Dam Option 2005
http://www.actew.com.au/publications/TheCotterDamOptionFWO2005.pdf
Future Water Options project has reports for 2005 and 2006 but not 2007
http://www.actew.com.au/futurewateroptions/
Implementation of the ACT Governments announcements on water security
http://www.icrc.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/77978/Information_Paper_-_Public_Version_-_FINAL.pdf
Download pdf report, Weathering the Change – ACT Climate Change
Strategy, 2007 to 2025
http://www.tams.act.gov.au/live/sustainability/climate/weathering_the_change
Costs of rainwater tanks.
http://www.nwc.gov.au/news/media_releases/media_release_17april07.cfm
Reduced population in parts of Germany have lead to costly engineering
problems due to falling sewage volumes
http://www.difu.de/index.shtml?/publikationen/dfk/en/04_1/04_1_koziol.shtml
Canberra blog, search for water subjects.
http://the-riotact.com/?p=6092
ABC Stateline Transcript
Water Options
Broadcast: 08/12/2006
Reporter: Philip Williams, Water wheeling and dealing. Philip Williams
reports.
http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/act/content/2006/s1808593.htm
ABC Stateline Transcript
Water Options Broadcast: 25/02/2005
Reporter: Emma Renwick, Canberra's water options are on
display and up for consultation.
Emma Renwick reports.
http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/act/content/2005/s1312235.htm