Nothing like a drought to get people closer together… 😛 Maybe we can hear from our Australian friends here on the site on how they are dealing with all this… 😉
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[size=medium]Australians told to take a friend into the shower[/size]
[i]MELBOURNE (Reuters)[/i] – Australians hit by one of the worst droughts in a century should shower together according to the minister responsible for water restrictions in the nation’s second most populous state.
Victoria state Environment Minister Sherryl Garbutt said even those not in a relationship could “find a sympathetic friend” and shower together to save thousands of litres of water over the southern hemisphere summer.
“I would urge Victorians to share their shower,” she said in the Herald-Sun newspaper.
“It is a very popular idea around my office for people to be showering with a friend. It is a great way to add to the overall water savings.”
Water restrictions take effect in Australia’s second-largest city, Melbourne, from November 1 for the first time in 20 years. They target mainly outdoor water use, such as swimming pools.
This year’s drought is being exacerbated by the El Nino weather pattern, which tends to cut rainfall in eastern Australia and parts of Southeast Asia.
The weather bureau said on Friday that parts of Sydney, Australia’s largest city, had recorded their driest six months since records began 144 years ago.
Water restrictions are also likely to be imposed on Sydney in November, officials say.