Prolonged Drought and Salinity Threaten Water Supplies in Australian City

Portions of Australia’s largest river are running so low and have become so salty because of a crippling drought and increased consumption that the nation’s fifth-largest city may soon have to deliver bottled water to its residents. Government officials warn that some stretches of the Murray River could be undrinkable by next week, particularly in 11 rural townships east of the city of Adelaide. Salinity levels in parts of the river already are higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended drinking water standard. Experts point to population growth, increased agriculture use, and a decade-long drought as contributing factors. Officials with the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, which oversees water resources for southeast Australia, say water reserves in the region are at about 25 percent of normal levels. “Another dry year will deplete our reservoirs and the water in the Murray will become too saline to drink,” said South Australian MP David Winderlich. “We are talking about 1.3 million people who are not far off becoming reliant on bottled water.”