Being naughty blogging during my online classroom about sustainable water use. A lot of this we have covered in water sensitive urban design, aka WSUD.
My teacher is talking about bore water, golf courses (clear-felling of vegetation), high salinity in our soil, and all the things that interfere with our water table. One of the things affecting our ground water, in Melbourne is surprise, surprise ... the increase in urban impervious surfaces. And one of the culprits, sorry to say, is the building of extensive outdoor structures which often (though not always) consist of surfaces which repel storm- water (also known as non-permeable surfaces). What happens is rain-water gushes off concrete, paving and decking and in to drains, creeks, eventually polluting our seas (fats, acids, contaminants, pathogens, hydrocarbons, nutrient load. Oh, when will she stop bleeting on, I hear you reply!). What our groundwater needs is more permeable surfaces : recharging or replenishing - not vast amounts of water being flushed down our drains! A major ground water complaint is the problem with house cracking and doors shifting which I know so well in my house, with the attendant expenses and security problems which ensue (doors/windows not closing properly).
Remember: it is the extensive garden with its vegetation and soils, which filters the rain-water, and replenishes the water table.
Our teacher reminded us that we have to be careful with how much water we harvest in rainwater tanks, and what water harvesting can do to our water table, especially if large volumes of water get stored over time, rather than being discharged back on to the soil.
So one day I will finish writing the A to Z of all the reasons not to build up our outdoor garden areas.
It appears we have most of the letters covered already. (See previous blogs.)
And who would have thought ground water could be so interesting. http://www.toplinenursery.com/images/sal_water_cy2.jpg This is an interesting link.
Blooming and Bold
Without the buzzards and bees
Where would we bee?
A blog by Nicolle Kuna
A blog about sustainable landscaping and some eco-humour and eco-creativity.
Inside this blog we look at everything that is encroaching in to our natural urban landscapes – outdoor rooms (errchkem), weeds, urban noise, excess nutrientsThere’s a bit of art to add extra colour and inspiration. We believe in making sustainability fun - more gaming, less shaming.
Also see website on social marketing for greenies
To contact us – go to the contact us page http://www.converseconserve.com as the contact facility on this blog has been giving us mischief.
Attribution for above garden design goes to
Andrew Jones, talented artist and designer.
Close to record rainfall yesterday - most rain fell apparently in one September day, since the last record, almost 100 years ago- 1916. As my friend Tessa and her son left our house, last night, I wished her luck on the drive home, and called out, Thank God for water sensitive urban design .... alluding to all the water everywhere. We live opposite a park and the river often rises up several metres. One year it almost came up so high, that the river would have formed an intimate association with our street scape.
ReplyDelete