The Grass Doctor

Why when the drought is so bad, can people in the Berrigan Shire can still water their lawns ?

There are areas close by that are on high water restrictions, where they are NOT permitted to water their lawns at all ( and rightly so) .. there is also the possibility that the farmers, in the area, will have their water supplies cut to their crops . Yet green lawns are abundant in the Shire. Surely common sense should limit water usage until the drought breaks. Why is the Berrigan Shire in the Riverina in Southern New South Wales in Australia being so irresponsible by not bringing in more servere water restrictions? it is selfish, ignorant and arrogant to allow such water wastage to occur. The People in the shire can water seven days a week between the hours of 6pm and 8 am what is your opinion .. In such a dire water crisis .. should people be allowed to waste water on lawns ? Helen, I no longer live in the Berrigan Shire. I have family there and visit often and I am appalled at the way water is wasted. Some of my family have given into my whining and no longer water, where as others have said that they will continue to do so as long as the shire permits. I feel so sorry for the farmers .. who's livelihood depends on water. Kevin, water restrictions work everywhere else and they are actually quite easy to inforce... It doesn't take much patrolling around small country towns to see who waters and who doesn't. Fines are imposed on those who break the restrictions and where i live , some people have already had their water supplied reduced to a trickle ( as in restricting their supplies) as punishment for breaking the restrictions. things are getting extremely dire in Australia.. Green lawns are an extravagance that we can not afford at this time..... and people should realise that... and when they don't a governing body should step up and bring in restrictions. lpaganus-- Personally I believe that green lawns SHOULD be a thing of the past .. UNTIL we are living in times where water is abundant .. BUT how do we convince flatearth local government officials .. who are probably worried about being voted out of office ..:( SAND D... and when there is no water for watering livestock ? and when there is no water for washing and bathing ? and eventually for human consumption .. what then ? The watering of lawns is NOT an issue when there's water plentiful ... I am sorry but you will not be selected as best answer on the basis that you have no understanding of the serverity of the issue. David W,... Sorry to have to tell you but Wikipedia isn't really the place to check this out ..What I would really like is for people to email the shire and ask them why they are so irresponsible. tuxie, there are a few in the towns that have access to bore water ... not many .. and the towns in that region not have recycling facilities ... the water for the vast majority of townsfolk comes directly out of the water mains ... so there's definitely a reason for me to get cross at the waste redreamer-- i agree with you entirely re common sense and personal responsibility. i have *shamed* a couple of family members into not watering .. others say they will wait for the shire to tell them not to water. it's just such a shame people aren't taking this seriously

Public Comments

1. I'd agree that it's indefensible when so many are suffering from this terrible drought. I'm very lucky - I live in the only (very tiny) part of NSW that is not in drought, and we are right now sitting and watching the rain teeming down and imagining how soon we will have to cut our lawns AGAIN! I've lived here since Christmas and the only time I've needed to use the garden hose since then is on the dog when she jumps in the creek. I do feel for you and your farmers. Why not write an open letter of protest to the local council and send it to the local newspaper?
2. The answer is control. How would a person go about controlling how much water someone uses? Maybe an effective control in a water shortage type situation could be, attaching a penalty onto their next month water bill. If they didn't pay it, then they wouldn't get water. The water meter would show how much water was used for that month and they could determine if that was too much for an individual or family to use. That would be the only way to control it. It would be difficult if not impossible to have law enforcement officers patrolling around to make sure people weren't wasting water. People pay for the water, so they should be able to do whatever they please with it. But only in a situation of water shortage should a control be placed on it. When a control is placed on the water, the community needs to know about it so they are informed on the water usage control limits during the crisis, so that they aren't penalized when their utility bills comes in the follow month.
3. There are places in Arizona and California, US where lawns are not permitted. The drought here in Baja California Mexico is getting more severe every day. Grazing lands are bare, wells running dry and weekend visitors still water ground covers like Ice Plant. Water restrictions are on the way, and a green lawn might be a thing of the past for your area.
4. People do not cause drought. and Some people live for their gardens and lawns, that is the reason they work so hard.......let them water....but that sidewalk isn't going to grow.....so keep it on the grass! par one!........four....oops wrong grass!
5. I do have a good idea of what you are talking about. I live in New Mexico, US. We have been in a long-term drought. Discounting the flooding we had last year and the snow we got this winter, we are still, basically, in a severe drought. For the past two or three years, there have been many towns that have run completely out of water. The National Guard had to haul water in to these towns for cooking and consumption, only. People had to make other arrangements for bathing, and had to take their laundry into larger, water smart towns to wash. Many of the larger towns here do have watering restrictions, which limit the number of days per week you are allowed to water and for how long. If you are caught watering at off times, you are heavily fined. Most people comply because they've lived in the desert long enough to understand the consequences of wasting water. We also do other things to conserve, such as washin dishes once a day, showering every other day, using used water to water plants, wahing only full loads, etc. Perhaps you should bring this up to your mayor at a town meeting, if you have them. It has worked here for years, and our droughts can be as bad as yours, or worse. Good luck to you at every level.
6. I don't know, but have you tried checking wikipedia?
7. have you checked to see if maybe that community is using reclaimed water (cleaned sewage water) Some communities are restricted to only using that sort of water for lawns. Check into it, you may be getting upset for no reason.
8. It isn't just Berrigan, it happens all over Australia. We maybe the only country whose water usage has drained rivers totally and groundwater supplies. I have seen people watering on restricted days, off days, rainy days, just after the rain and what is worse, for those who should lead by example, local councils, watering public land during a thunder storm or even worse during the mid day heat. The responsibility lies with the individual, and common sense must prevail. Have a drought resistant grass on your lawn. Buy native trees that are not susceptible to drought. Watch the weather, turn off your reticulation if it rains and don't water for 3 days after a good down pour. Have a rainwater tank and collect your own water, have a household water recycling tank in your garden. Save water in buckets, from the sink, laundry, shower and cooking to pour onto your gardens, My garden is green and I don't water it directly from the household water, tap sprinkler system. We have a ground water bore, but even that only gets used once or twice a month for 10 minutes each time.
9. You have represented yourself well here in stating that the people are irresponsible. People don't care about what is outside their circle/space, especially if they have never been directly affected by it. You are right to be concerned about who should have access to water when there is a drought. Do people want to eat? then the farmers should have priority. Should water be rationed to families? Yes, and the priority should be drinking, food prep and personal needs last. I would rather have clean teeth then a green lawn. Getting the government to cooperate is ideal, but they will only bow under pressure. Your suggestion to contact them is good, but don't stop there. If restrictions are in place, then report the abusers. Grass is fine for grazers, but I would much rather have water for my sustenance.