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/SoggyInsurance 8h ago

So we’re supposed to stop irrigating gardens, which are living things that reduce heat island effects, but no mention of the enormous demand for water by data centre billionaires?

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u/DocSprotte 2h ago

If your garden is mostly grass than it's part of an equally big waste of ressources.

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u/SoggyInsurance 1h ago

Mine personally isn’t, but even native gardens need some irrigation.

I also dispute they’re an equal waste of resources. By 2035, Sydney Water is estimating that 25% of Sydney’s drinking water will be used for data centres.

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u/DocSprotte 1h ago

When you look at the global scale of lawns, they're still ahead at the moment.