South Queensland: Drought is not over

South East Queenslanders subject to level six water restrictions are using an average of 130 litres a day, according to recent daily water use consumption figures. Queensland Water Commission spokesman Gerald Tooth said across the region an average of 408 million litres a day was used across seven days.

“That is up an average of 10 litres per person from last week” Mr Tooth said.

“Despite recent rains the drought is not over and Level 6 Restrictions and Target 140 still apply.”

The combined dam levels of Wivenhoe, North Pine and Somerset are sitting around 37.23 per cent.

“There will be no easing of restrictions until combined dam levels reach 40 per cent, and even then we are only going to be making a small step back,” Mr Tooth said.

“Now is not the time to relax the good habits we have all adopted through the worst drought on record. We are asking everyone to keep to their four minute showers. That’s one thing that won’t be changing when we do start easing restrictions.”

Last week total average daily consumption was 498 million litres per day. According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, up until 9am Thursday 14 February 2008 Brisbane City received 38.8mm of rainfall for the last seven days. The average maximum temperature over the last week was 29.1 degrees. This was approximately 0.1 degrees warmer than the previous week.

Meanwhile in Mackay, a town on the coast 600 miles north of Brisbane, has suffered serious flooding. Hundreds of Mackay residents have spent the night in emergency accommodation after their homes were swamped by floodwaters from the biggest downpour to hit the town in 90 years. A total of 624mm fell on Mackay in 10 hours, nearly half the city’s annual rainfall of 1561mm and almost twice as much rain as Brisbane has received so far this year.