We’re turning into BROWNSVILLE
Councillor blames sprinkler use as hillside residents face low water pressure
CAIRNS nature lovers will do anything not to turn into an ugly dustbowl like Townsville, including pumping an extra 25 million litres through their sprinklers. Sprinklers are doing overtime in Cairns in an effort to beat dry conditions while Emily Smith, 8, and Milla Saggers, 8, roll with it at a parched John Egan Park at Parramatta Park. Thankfully Cairns is only one shower away from being green again.
SPRINKLERS are being squeezed of every last drop as Cairns lawn enthusiasts try desperately to avoid falling to the wretched fate of their dusty cousins in Brownsville.
Daily water usage for the Cairns Regional Council area has been as high as 85 megalitres in recent weeks – about 25 million litres more than the norm.
Personal consumption peaked last month at 450 litres per person per day, compared to 350 litres in June and July.
Division 9 Cr Brett Olds said sprinkler usage had become so prevalent during this dry spell that water pressure for some properties was beginning to weaken.
“In Trinity Beach and Yorkeys, anywhere up on the hillsides in those suburbs, the water pressure is dropping,” he said.
“The council only needs to keep water pressure at 220kpa (kilopascals) and we are maintaining it.
“But the whole reason it’s going so low is the sprinklers.”
Despite Copperlode Dam sitting at 90 per cent capacity, Cr Olds urged residents to remain frugal with regard to water usage and wait for the inevitable rain.
He said the city was safe from the climatic ravages felt in Townsville.
“When we get one shower, everyone’s lawn will go back to the same,” he said.
“We’ve got this big drought happening out bush and we’re sending them hay bales.”
The seasonal outlook for Cairns receiving above median rainfall between September and November is between 35 and 40 per cent.
In August a mere 1.4mm was collected in the Cairns Airport gauge, down on the monthly average of 26.1mm.
The region is chasing 33.5mm as its September average but so far the gauge at the airport is yet to register a single unit of rain.
The chance of rain in Cairns increases to 30 per cent today and 40 per cent on Thursday, but even if it eventuates it is expected to yield less than 1mm.
Tinaroo Dam was 82 per cent full yesterday with 362,899 megalitres available.