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Time for some big water conservation projects worldwide .


Frederick

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[quote user="Frederick"]Not just Australia ..Middle East running out very fast as well.....[/quote]

I seem to remember a large desalination project contract being recently awarded to Degremont for Adelaide (we didn't get the contract).

It all depends where in the ME you are talking about Frederick. We should be on stream with 130m imperial gall per day (migpd) of new desalination production phased over the next few months. KSA have recently commissioned 26 x 8 migpd desalination units. The new RO plant in Sur (Oman) has started production. 120 migpd of mixed RO / MED is under construction in Sharjah. A new large RO plant is due to start construction in Israel next year to augment the existing Ashkelon plant.

I guess there might be work for me for a few years [:(]

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I believe Gaza and Syria are facing huge problems in the near future rivers cant meet demand . I feel if the UN is worth anything at all they should be unifying nations to work together to meet the demand for water in such places now . Not wait for populations to move to find it then all hell break loose as people fight over it .Peoples need for water is going to be the biggest problem to deal with worldwide

one our grandchidren are going to have to sort out . You are right Powerdiesel there could be a huge amount of work on water supply projects for thousands of people worldwide . If oil can be moved right accross europe ..Why not fresh water ?

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In the UK we should have Part G of the building regs (due ist October) but that has been postponed until April 2010. Roughly it means households should not use more than 125 litres of water per day per person. (time to check your water meters and see how much you use) It applies to new houses mainly and requires rain water harvesting and low water items such as efficient shower heads etc.

I was staggered to learn how much water is used to create a single roll of toilet paper.

http://www.alternet.org/water/143139/here's_how_to_stop_using_toilet_paper_and_save_water,_trees_and_energy

I would consider putting in a rainwater harvesting tank in the garden next year. Where do I find the French regs?

 

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Do you think they recycle the water in these places? I was also staggered by the amounts of water and electricity used. There's the big push on to use less energy, which we try to do, and we've always tried to save water in UK, but things like that just wouldn't occur to people. Thanks, Teapot; mind you, I don't know what I'm going to do with that info, as I'm not into alternatives!

GG

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[quote user="gardengirl "]

Do you think they recycle the water in these places? GG

[/quote]

Yes they do, there are large areas containing the water recycling plant and the block paving must be porous so the rain water can be collected. It's ok for flushing toilets etc.  I would consider it for the house but I am sure there are lots of people to be paid before you are allowed to collect the free rainwater so how much it would actually save I am not sure.

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I understand that the Aussie government is providing grants to homeowners at present to install large rainwater tanks on peoples properties. This is an excellent idea, as the amount of water collected off an average sized house roof is phenomenal.

I remember one Xmas, both our 10,000 gallon tanks were near empty. We had torrential rain for two days which managed to fill both tanks up to around 95% of their capacity.

Plus rain water is yummy to drink.

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Even in Australia you cant get people in one area with more water than they need to agree to build dams and then pipe it down to where there is desperate need and its not fit to drink . Queensland huge rainfall and floods ...why isnt that conserved and piped into areas where there has been no rain for 10 years .
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I lived in Queensland for 8 years and only the first year I was there we had large rainfall. The rest of the time it was barren and you'd get maybe one or two lots of torrental rain a year.

The problem is once the land is so dry, when you do get the rainfall, the ground is so hard flooding occurs. I lived near two massive dams, Wivenhoe dam (4 times the size of Sydney harbour) and the older Somerset dam. The latter was created after massive flooding to Brisbane in the late 1800's. Both these dams supply water to their immediate surrounding areas and to the Gold Coast, some 2 hours drive away. When I lived near these dams, they never got above 50% capacity due to the continuous droughts. They were typically only about 20 - 30% full on average.

That's why I think the government's scheme to install large water tanks on people's properties is the way to go. And Australian rain water is good to drink. At least in my experience in Queensland it is.

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I was in Proserpine last year, The place was cut off by flood water and the railway got washed away as well they got more than they needed then...When people have to be rescued off the roof of Mac Donalds like they were in Mackay then you know its been raining ...I do like QL..anytime
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I was staggered to learn how much water is used to create a single roll of toilet paper. Theiere

Wood too I read from your link !

Reminds me of toilet paper made in Romania in 1991 - you could actually see the little splinters of wood in it.   And this wasn't just in the 'supermarkets' in Bucarest, but also in the the Intercontinental Hotel, where in desparation I did 'borrow' some as my 'supermarket' had none - and also closed for 10 days (with perhaps 100 or so items) to stocktake.   Sadly, I couldn't afford to stay in the hotel.

Water was also a problem there with cranky machinery often broken.

Tegwini

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He he Tegwini, are you sure that was toilet paper? sounds like you were in the Romanian equivalent of B&Q standing next to the wood chip wallpaper! [:D]

Did you read the comments on the bottom of that article. Personally I have never used a bidet, what are others opinion of the foot washer [Www]

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[quote user="Théière"]

He he Tegwini, are you sure that was toilet paper? sounds like you were in the Romanian equivalent of B&Q standing next to the wood chip wallpaper! [:D]

Did you read the comments on the bottom of that article. Personally I have never used a bidet, what are others opinion of the foot washer [Www]

[/quote]

No pun intended here?? [Www]

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Yes Theiere it was loo paper!

I did read the article & already knew about the problems in Adelaide as I have a good friend living there whose son lost his farm as a result of the drought.

As for bidets/foot washing we have one here in Wiltshire & 2 in France- handy I suppose at times,  & people here (some) think the French use them rather than a proper bath or shower - BUT I don't accept that!

There does seem to be a need for water planning. Even in the UK during droughts we get threatened with water rationing - in spite of the rain that seems to fall continuously.  NO real planning done here regarding water.   I know about water rationing - we had it for over 6 months in South Africa in the mid 1980s in Natal - 150 litres per day per household - and massive fines if you went over that amount. And SA has some enormous dams and reservoirs.

Fewer people might be a good idea too.  Gordon is at a conference on climate change this week. I wonder why no one talks about 'populution' ?  

Tegwini

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I have just watched a classic b/w Turkish film made in 1964 which shows the tensions over water in the Middle East.

There is an interesting blog about this at

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/07/16/what_iraq_needs_more_than_oil?page=full

and the film can be seen  free at

http://www.theauteurs.com/films/1328

(you need to register, but it is the free film of the month)

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