Adelaide One Year Away from Running Out of Drinking Water

At least according to this politician:

ADELAIDE is just one dry year away from becoming reliant on bottled water, a South Australian politician says.

Australian Democrats MLC David Winderlich has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on the River Murray after it was revealed salinity levels at Tailem Bend were not far from reaching dangerous proportions.

The pumping station at Tailem Bend, about 100km east of Adelaide, supplies the SA communities from Keith in the southeast to the Narrung Peninsula.

It is understood that the recommended safe drinking water salinity level, as set out by the World Health Organisation, is 800EC (electrical conductivity).

However, according to river and flood plain ecologist Keith Walker, the water at Tailem Bend has reached 1200EC and will require action by the state Government if it reaches 1400EC.

“Most people can tolerate this level of salinity, but people with underlying health problems could be susceptible to salinity levels above 1400EC,” Mr Walker said.

“The future of the Murray as a town water supply is not at all secure.”  [AAP]

I think the guy is hyping the situation to make it appear worst then it is to get people to do something about it.  At least this guy isn’t scaremongering as bad as this woman who claims Sydney would run out of water by 2010 and shortly after that it would be time to evacuate Australia.