Editor:
The following is an open letter to Sunshine Coast residents and representatives.
We are entering another summer with no solution to our water shortage meanwhile every time it rains we pour thousands of cubic metres of water into drains from our roofs.
Every square metre of roof collects a litre of water for each ml of rain. In my case, the roof and deck area is about 120 sq. metres and my 2400 litres of rain barrels are filled by rainfall of 20mm (one or two rainy days). In a year with 1,000 ml, that is 120 cubic meters or enough to supply a home with moderate usage.
Every building has a roof with gutters and downspouts so add a rain barrel and then send pumper trucks around the neighbourhoods to collect the water and deliver it to the treatment facility or holding pond.
Rainwater is unregulated so no permits from senior governments are required.
Every new build adds to the capacity rather than stressing the existing infrastructure.
In the case of drought, any rain that does fall is immediately available so no need to wait for the forest floor to soak up what it needs before run-off fills the reservoirs.
David New-Small
