Water Use in Perth

Back in Perth after some travels I was thinking about water, that stuff we all need every day.

About a quarter (27 percent) of Perth's mains water comes from reservoirs. Another 56 percent is pumped from underground, where there are enormous freshwater reserves. The rest comes from a new seawater desalination plant in Kwinana. For a really good, and readable, summary of the city's water supplies and groundwater geology see this link.

Perth's tap water is healthy and safe. However, we do consume a lot of bottled water. Sometimes it is convenient to have a bottle, some people might prefer the taste, but we really don't need the bottled stuff for health. Choice magazine has a good discussion of bottled water. If you're concerned about your carbon footprint (the amount of energy you use) then bottled water might not be for you. Transporting little bottles by truck uses heaps of fuel.

For healthy water it's hard to go past what comes from the tap. By the way, don't think of drinking from a rainwater tank in the city unless you like all the stuff that deposits in your gutters, like lead and other stuff from petrol and diesel exhaust, lizard and seagull poo, airborne pollutants from industry, mould from old leaves and so on. Rain water also contains none of the minerals which are very important for kids teeth and bones.

However, from the point of view of health, obesity and activity, any water is probably a better choice than a sweet fizzy drink.

On the matter of water being scarce, we don't seem to have done much about this. We do like our lawns, but they are thirsty luxuries. Ever since someone invented the petrol mower we have surrounded our houses with trimmed grass. This consumes lots of water. Surely we could think about having less lawn and making use of native bushes like grevillea. Thoughtful use of pea gravel, ground cover, paving and appropriate trees can make a big difference. That way we'd use less water, reduce evaporation, have more native birds around the house and feel good. Oh, and spend less time mowing the lawn :-)

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