The Wire

As summer approaches, the risks from continuing droughts across Australia are increasing. While most country areas have a long history of water management, Australian cities have been pretty slow on the uptake. Fanciful, expensive and lengthy schemes such as desalinating seawater have been proposed at state and federal government levels – but in the meantime local councils, water suppliers and institutions have been successfully trialling more pragmatic solutions. Will Farrell spoke to Dr. Simon Beecham, Director of Water Engineering at the University of Technology in Sydney, about a pilot study in Sydney’s suburb of Kogarah. The study has investigated the potential for harvesting storm water, and using grey and black water, in our homes, parks and even hospitals.