Little choice but to wait for the rain

YESTERDAY’S dreary weather would not have upset a single person across Townsville.

After days of searing heat and unbearable humidity, the overcast conditions and showers were a very welcome relief.

Sadly, the weather bureau says the weather will contract today and that the conditions yesterday are not the prayed for indicator of a big wet season on the way.

Townsville and the whole North Queensland region are in desperate need of a drenching after several years of failed wet seasons.

With Ross River Dam at 14.7 per cent yesterday, Townsville can ill afford to go another year without significant rainfall.

Should our water supply not be replenished by good monsoonal rain, the city will likely face even more extreme water restrictions and another year of the associated pain and frustration for residents.

Out west, graziers are faced with sending their cattle to market early should a lack of rain almost destroy their feed supplies.

Still, many are hopeful that the promised El Nino will deliver.

Brief bursts of rain such as yesterday’s deluge do little to restore the water table but they have benefits in that they tend to have a marked impact on the city’s water usage.

With the city relying on water pumped from Burdekin Falls Dam, a few days of well- below average water consumption can make a big difference.

The city is in the midst of having a water solution delivered.

Arguments still rage over the best option for our water security and whether the solution being worked on now will be enough.

But there is no way to markedly speed up the project and sadly, we have to be patient and wait for the day restrictions are a thing of the past.