Here in Geelong, Australia there have only been 542 millimetres of rain in the last 10 months, compared to the annual average of 1148. The lowest that number had ever been in the past was 700 millimetres in 1967.
Barwon Water like to say that the Geelong water supply system is currently 26.4 per cent full, but maybe they should be saying the glass is 73.6% empty because it looks like we should be pretty pessimistic since we are just going into summer.
In this dire situation Barwon Water obviously have to tell us - the people, to use less water. Here is how they are currently going about it.
The rather simplistic "Don't use water!" approach is clearly visible, but doesn't spark our imaginations at all.
Contrast this to the campaign that Denver Water have just launched:
It is amazing what a creative agency can do with a campaign!
Here is my quick 5-minute take on the Geelong water situation.
Comments on the article
timothykhoo
Barwon Water takes it.
They can't supply the demand needed by their customers. Those twanks. What exactly do they do? They have no competition, no need for marketing? they dont' have to worry about market share. They have guaranteed customers. They don't even put fluorine in the water.
All they do is sit there, let it rain, and let us turn on our taps. They don't even build the pipes or the sinks or the bathtubs or the dams or the what nots. They are chungs.
And if it doesn't rain, they go ?oh no we don't really have water to go around, so now we're going to put restrictions on what you can do with the water we sell to you.' twits.
After it leaves their dams and goes to our pipes it should be ours. Ours to do whatever we like to it. We bought it from them. They should have thought about it before they agreed to a fixed market price for water, aye?
Luke Chrzanowski
Maybe if they actually explained what the restrictions meant instead of just saying "stage 4".
Stage 4 means shit all to me, and because i don't watch tv or listen to the radio, they need to have printed media to make people aware of the changes that need to be made.
Kirsten Lee
The fluoridation issue opens a completely different bag of worms.
Fluoridation is a hot topic in Geelong, some very stupid people think it may harm rather than help. We are one of the last areas to have a fluoride-free water supply.
Fluoridation is a cost effective way to help reduce tooth decay. But anyway..I don't think the situation will improve much unless Barwon Water start to make a considerable effort to advertise the dire situation we are facing. If they fail to do so, the general populace will keep on with old habits.
I applaud Denver Water.
I hope Barwon Water make a distinct effort to advertise exactly what we face and what stage 4 requires of us.
I've looked online, but I certainly don't belive everyone will go to the same effort.
In my household, my mother has placed tubs in the showers to catch water so we can water the garden. (We don't have outdoor plumbing for it.) I admit I'm not particularly thrilled at the idea of standing in a bucket while I shower, but it's got to be done. :(
My solution to the water crisis- I'll loan my mum to everyone and they'll be too scared to waste water. ;)