HALLELUJAH! IT’S GOING TO BE RAINING, MEN
WEATHER forecasters are predicting major downpours later this week but Townsville residents and visitors alike are sceptical, with the North having been let down by yet another failed wet season. Yesterday Pat Bateman, Alec Klicke, Reg Crae, and Tim Meachan soaked up the warm autumn sunshine at The Strand.
CHILDREN as young as 10 are worrying about Townsville’s water woes.
From shortening shower times and using excess water on gardens, Year 6 students from Cathedral School of St Anne and St James have been reducing consumption.
Ross River Dam continues to fall, with the level at 15.9 per cent and pumping from the Burdekin Dam will start when it hits 15 per cent.
Riley Goddard, 11, who is a “sustainable guardian” at Cathedral, said there were a number of ideas discussed to curb water woes.
“We could get a dam here – somewhere that gets all the water,” she said.
Riley said while she does not talk about water at school, it was a topic at home.
“We make sure that we save every water that we can get,” she said. “We don’t fill up our water bottles and tip it all down the sink if we just have one glass. We just save it for the next time we want to drink.”
Riley feared if water security was not solved crops would die.
“... And everything will become higher in prices,” she said.
“Carrots and cucumbers – they stop growing because they need water. “It will become scarce.” Zoe Havenaar, 11, was concerned that Townsville would soon have to pump
from the Burdekin again.
“We have to watch how much water we use,” she said. “We time our showers to three minutes.”
Maya Goodyear, 10, said when her family had showers, they collected the water.
“We water our gardens ( with it),” she said.
Matthew Horrocks, 11, said his family didn’t leave water running when they brushed their teeth.
“My dad bought a bore to water his garden recently, about a year ago,” he said.
Herbert MP Cathy O’Toole said many kids were feeling anxious.
“I’ve been to a few schools and there was a very common thread of concern between the kids,” she said.
“The conversation for 95 per cent of the time was water. They were concerned it was going to run out.”
Ms O’Toole was impressed with many of the students’ solutions.
Townsville Water and Waste Committee chairman Cr Paul Jacob said council gave handbooks to schools to teach responsible water use.
“It had all the water saving things to try and identify around the house like timers and looking for water leaks,” he said.
“Once we explained everything to them, it was open for questions and they didn’t stop. We underestimate kids as to their enthusiasm and how they get stuck into these problems.”