The plan announced a hand back of up to 3,200
gigalitres of water to the environment in annual average flows, achieving only 65 per cent of the environmental flow targets which define a healthy river system.
Between 1909 and 1948, the average annual rainfall across this area was 780 millimetres, with calculated dam inflows of 892
gigalitres.
The Murray Darling Basin Commission expects water efficiency measures and engineering improvements to save about 300
gigalitres by mid-2009.
The victory was among several that ACF and its supporters should be celebrating this year; others include the rehabilitation of the Jabiluka uranium mine and an agreement to let 500
gigalitres of extra water pour into the parched Murray River, giving it at least a temporary reprieve from decline.
It defined a rural extraction limit of 11,500
gigalitres per year (Khan et al.
Canberra wants water usage cuts of 2,750
gigalitres a year in the vast Murray-Darling Basin in Australia s east which produces more than one-third of the country s food supply and has been over exploited for years.
To further prove the effectiveness of his company's technology, Miles said, "In 2010, during the Holy Month of Ramandan, we delivered 4
gigalitres of rain in Qatar which is equal to the volume of water supplied in the country for 10 days.
Good quality water sources are a key requirement of the JHEP, with annual consumption estimated at up to 26
gigalitres.
The plan includes recommendations to slash irrigation by up to 45 per cent in some river systems, with total cuts up to 400
gigalitres (GL).
The river basin uses 13,000
gigalitres of water every year--in comparison, Melbourne and Sydney combined use just two
gigalitres.
A five year, AUD 500 million programme (Living Murray Initiative) was launched in 2004 with the objective of restoring 500
gigalitres (GL) per year to the environment via, in particular, improvements in the distribution infrastructure to reduce water losses.
The plant will produce about 50
gigalitres of potable water per year.
