Daily matters: It’s time to be water-wise

I’M the first to admit I’ve never been much of a water saver.

But when stage four restrictions were introduced in Geelong back in 2007, I was forced to change my habits dramatically.

I took buckets into the shower so I could keep a few plants outside alive, the showers were cut, and I just had to accept that my lawn was going to die.

Geelong’s situation was dire with 14 per cent water storages, so the restrictions were essential, and the community reluctantly had to accept that we were in it together.

It wasn’t just residential and commercial gardens that could not be watered at any time, councils and schools were also unable to water their grounds or gardens – at anytime.

As a result, the Geelong Cricket Association was forced to cut its season short as soon as the restrictions hit in December, with the grand finals being held in the first weekend of January. The local football season was also impacted, with council only watering 16 sporting fields of the 120 in the municipality at the time. The AFL ground was watered, but many others suffered and the season was delayed.

While a lot of people were up in arms about football and cricket, most accepted the big picture that it was more important to have drinking water and showers than sport.

Geelong’s water storage levels have risen back to a healthy 70 per cent, but they remain on stage one restrictions, which they are only too happy to do to avoid a return to 2007.

Strangely, given the climate we live in, Mildura is one of the only municipalities not yet on stage one water restrictions.

But after years of almost record low rainfall, they’re coming. Perhaps within weeks.

But it’s nothing to be feared.

The biggest impact for residents is we will only be able to water our gardens and lawn areas on alternate days, but we can still water with a hand-held hose with a nozzle on any day. And there are a few restrictions in the way we wash our cars.

It’s hardly the end of the world.

As Lower Murray Water (LMW) pointed out, it is far better that we put in place some minor restrictions now to avoid far greater restrictions down the track.

Having lived through those stage four restrictions in Geelong, we certainly don’t want to reach that point here.

It was a real blow to the town to see everything die off, to lose summer sport and have local footy and soccer seasons delayed.

LMW has not yet introduced the stage one restrictions for Mildura, but has warned if we don’t get some significant rainfall in the coming weeks that it will be forced to act.

So for those of us who aren’t great water savers, best start getting ready to change our habits now.

We will survive just fine by sticking with stage one.