Water shortages may cause parks to adopt tinges of autumn colour in the Spring
We are to be prepared for water shortages, and contrary to our intuition it is essential it seems. But why? Why do we continue to use ‘expensively processed water’ to irrigate our parks and landscapes? What is wrong with the use of grey water? Most continental parks and for that matter municipal authorities use ‘grey water’ for this important life giving sustenance and municipal cleansing. The UK’s municipal authorities have always eschewed that practice.
Perhaps it is because most parks and open spaces water use is not metered – a heresy and sorry colleagues but it is generally true! If it is not, please publish your water usage so that we can all see how thrifty you are.
Apart from modern purpose built landscapes such as the Olympic Park, most parks and open spaces and other municipal landscape water usage is not measure and or monitored. Why? ‘Grey water’ is perfectly acceptable and in many cases causes less damage to the plantscape and the ecosystem than the chemically treated ‘processed’ variety.
Furthermore, is it not time for all landscapes to be given a ’water use’ index? In a increasing climate changing world, water will overtake oil and become THE most precious of commodities. Time for the overused ? in this blog to be replaced by an exclamation mark showing a change of practice and thinking!
