Water Shortage Solution

SN Solutions - Greening Australia ------------------------------------ Email: editor@shootersnews.addr.com

Everyone in Australia is currently aware of servere regional water shortages due to drought and climate change and that Governments are looking into and trying to address the issue.

ShootersNews contributor Andrew S. MacGregor has suggested a brilliant solution to transfer water from those areas that have abundant supplies to coastal cities ( eg Ord River water to Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Perth Adelaide etc. ). HOW ? Simply run a large diameter plastic pipe from a dam at sea level off and around the coast ( under the sea ) to another sea level dam at its destination where pumps can pump it into local dams.

SN's editor has improved on this idea by saying such a pipe can merely be connected to any above sea level dam or river system with adequate water flow then piped undersea along the coast where it would via water equalization pressure merely empty out above sea level to whatever arrangements for storage or pumping are suitable at the destination end.

Mere water pressure and the fact water will equalize its level will transfer the water from point of origin to destination. This is because water will not compress. It is essentially gravity feed transport.

This approach would negate the need for costly overland pipes and pump stations.

Anyone can test this princple of water movement by simply putting a length of garden hose on any surface ( with both hose ends above the surface level ) & have the entry end at a height higher than the exit end. Water put through the entry end will push out at the lower exit end becasue water seeks is own level. It is simple hydro physics. Everyone knows what happens when you disconnect a garden hose and lift it up - the water runs out the other end.

Such a pipe could be laid quickly on a cable drum laying type ship.

Minor leaks would not be problems because water pressure outside the pipe undersea would be relatively the same. Solar powered pumps could speed the flow rate.

And if water is not needed simply turn off the pipe at destination end.

Such a piping system off the coast all round Australia could transfer water that currently goes out to sea. For example - a pipe connected upstream to rivers in eastern Victoria could tranfer water to Melbourne or elsewhere just as water from northern Queensland rivers and dams could be transfered to Brisbane. Ord River water could be sent to Perth.

Enormous quantities of water could be transfered when and where required from those regions with excess quantities at minimal cost and solve the current drought and address long term water issues. Flood waters could be harnessed.

SN hopes someone in authority will seriously take up this water transfer solution.



Currently Brisbane is facing a water crisis and if the Queensland Govt could get such a pipe laid tapping into a coastal river delta and run it up the Brisbane River to or close to the city's main dam site it could help to overt the looming water crisis.




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