QWC on SEQ water grid - we're not going to make it ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

We could run out of water

1 March 2007

Southeast Queensland residents are now faced with the real prospect of running out of water before crucial infrastructure can be completed.

Startling new figures reveal inflows into the Wivenhoe Dam system dwindled to only 2733 megalitres in January, 83 per cent lower than the previous January, which was the worst on record.

The prospect of sustained drenching rain will diminish from today, the first day of autumn and the start of the driest part of the year.

The record low inflows drastically raise the likelihood of a raft of draconian new restrictions, such as rationing, as well as power station shutdowns.

Treasurer Anna Bligh admitted yesterday that the critically low dam inflows would likely force the Government to rethink its estimate of how long the remaining water would last.

She said capacity of the region's dams could drop below the previous estimate of 5 per cent by the end of 2008, when crucial infrastructure is due to be completed.

"I think you would have to expect that if we continue to see the sort of decline in inflows to the dam that we have seen in December and January, then there will have to be some reassessment on what the impact on the dam levels will be by the end of this year and the year after that," Ms Bligh said.

Her comments came as she released the latest of monthly updates on the progress of critical water infrastructure projects, which showed that eight, including the recycled water pipeline, remained behind schedule.

Work on the pipeline 24 hours a day began last night, however this is not expected to bring forward the December 31 completion date next year. Coalition infrastructure spokesman Bruce Flegg said water rationing was now looming.

See - QWC - Calling International Rescue.

How could a State government allow itself to get into such a predicament ...