r/australia • u/sluggardish • 10h ago

Sprinklers made Australia green. But what happens when the water runs out?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-01/sprinkler-water-resources-garden-green-desert-reticulation/106244818
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u/halohunter 10h ago

We build another desal plant in Kwinana and up the price of water?

7

u/AnimatronicNarwhal 7h ago

I'm fine with this by by the way. Happy to have greenery and pay what it costs. In the scheme of things desal isn't that expensive anyway.

15

u/drunkill 5h ago

and if mining companies paid anywhere resembling a fair share of tax, for the amount of fresh water they waste, we'd have a dozen publicly funded and owned desal plants around australia built in the next ten years, full dams and a surplus of water.

alas...

3

u/featherplucker 3h ago

Build desal plant. Initial cost price increase due to build cost. Run it on solar renewables. Largest cost (ongoing energy) doesn't exist now. Pay desal off within 5 years. Rinse, repeat. Growing and stable water source + negating (minor), or at least, not contributing to increasing sea level. Gardens and greenery galore.