South Australia is being warned residents will flee as water refugees amid a call for a state of emergency to be declared to pull through the current crisis. The United Nations first senior advisor on water, Maude Barlow, has issued the warning before a visit today to South Australia.

Ms. Barlow, a Canadian activist and author, is on a five-day visit to Australia to discuss water issues. She has warned water refugees will head to parts of the nation, which have more plentiful water supplies – or even leave Australia for wetter countries – because of the lack of water.

She said more storm water and wastewater recycling was needed. “Australia needs to call for a state of emergency. It is almost as if we are on a war footing.” Ms Barlow said. “It is almost like a time of war and we have to pull together. I think there has been this belief somehow something would change and someone would come up with a solution and there hasn’t been that happening.”

Ms. Barlow criticised federal and state governments for failing to take action to shore up water supplies years ago and for damaging water systems by installing dams and over allocating water. She criticised projects instigated in the drought to increase water availability - such as desalination plants. “They carry their own problems.” Ms Barlow said. “Desalination is a technology that is energy intensive, has high greenhouse gas emissions and releases very toxic brine into the ocean.”

“If we collect sewerage water and recycle it and retain stormwater and recycled water and return it to the ecosystem, we don’t need desalination plants and we wouldn’t need pipelines.” She called for an end of “privatisation” of water, by allocating water licences to farmers, businesses and townspeople. “The water in the country belongs to Australians, the ecosystem and the future,” she said. “I do not believe a private entity should be allowed to own water rights and sell water rights, because they belong to everyone. That is the business of government.”

Ms. Barlow hopes to talk with federal Water Minister Penny Wong and state Water Security Minister Karlene Maywald

Our state of emergency

Cara Jenkin. The Advertiser. April 4, 2009.

“Desalination is a technology that is energy intensive, has high greenhouse gas emissions and releases very toxic brine into the ocean.” Ms Barlow said.

Lights back on

The Whyalla Council has turn the Point Lowly Lighthouse light back on with a dimmer yellow light