Oil Pipelines?? Why not Water Pipelines?

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Denise1952

Well-known Member
Seems logical we could use all the "over supply" of water/snow, and send it on down to places dying of drought?

Ok, let'er rip, why we can't do something that seems way more smart, and environmentally helpful?
 

There's nothing new about that idea, NWLady.

[h=1]Water pipeline from Perth to Kalgoorlie: 1894 -1903
[/h]The Australian Pipeliner — April 2007

In this day and age of water shortages, requiring new water pipelines, it is extremely interesting to look back to the end of the nineteenth century and examine how C. Y. O’Connor’s ambitious Coolgardie Water Scheme overcame the political and engineering hurdles involved.

The story starts with gold finds in and around the Kalgoorlie area in Western Australia and the need for water to sustain the goldfields. In 1893 the then-Premier of Western Australia, Sir John Forrest, said: “Gold in this colony is found only in the most out-of-the-way places, the most desolate places, far away from water, and where it is difficult to obtain supplies.”

Not only that, rainfall was low in the Kalgoorlie goldfields and what rain fell was quickly lost in the porous earth or evaporated.
To O’Connor the problem was a simple one. On the coast they enjoyed a rainfall of over thirty inches per year. At Kalgoorlie the average rainfall was uncertain because there had been few records taken, but it seemed to be about nine or ten inches a year. Why not imprison some of the millions of gallons of water that went to waste each year on the coast and pump it to Kalgoorlie?

The proposal was greeted with derision. Who had ever heard of such a thing? Pump 5,000,000 gallons per day to Coolgardie, a distance of over 300 miles, through 30 inch steel pipes? The idea was absurd, impossible!

.... Skipping a lot of detail here. Full story here http://pipeliner.com.au/news/water_pipeline_from_perth_to_kalgoorlie_1894_-1903/040096/

The project grew and grew until the water finally flowed on 24 January 1903 into the reservoir constructed at Mt. Charlotte near Coolgardie. Forrest turned a silver valve head that sent water flowing on to Kalgoorlie. There were huge celebrations with congratulations all round. Gone were the doubting Thomases and vindictive critics.

More than seven years had passed since Forrest had accepted O’Connor’s plans and estimates of some 2,500,000 pounds to construct the project. Initial consumption at the Goldfields proved to be some 1,260,000 gallons daily.

Today, some 9 million gallons daily flow through the concept delivered by O’Connor.
 
geez, I NEVER come up with an original idea, LOL, but Dame, that was a neat story. So what about it, Americans? Why can't we do this, or is it being done already. They say Texas, and even California are suffering from drought. What about Mexico. If we could get more water down to them, couldn't they turn those dry areas into productive areas?

Thanks so much Dame, very informative and glad to see some smart folks got it goin on;) denise
 

Your continent is nowhere near as flat as ours, Denise, particularly the western half of Australia.
However pumps are pretty simple devices and they could be (partly at least) powered by solar energy these days.

If you read the whole story you'll note that the designer was greeted with so much derision and obstruction that he committed suicide. It was taken up and made a success by another man who believed in the idea. It takes special people to make dreams into reality. Any idiot can tell you why it can't be done. Until it is done, that is.
 
That is so true, any idiot, and usually the first to start flappin their jibs can tell us all the reasons our ideas are ridiculous. Are you sure that designer committed suicide? I mean shooting himself 5 times makes me wonder. Then the other dude makes a killing, I didn't plan the pun, but there it is;) No, I'm just jabbering. But we did the Alaska pipeline and they have a few "hills" up that way;) I say we can do it, who wants to get in on the ground-floor of our new, water pipeline? Phil, will you handle the financial end, you know, set up your little booth??
 
nwlady said:
Seems logical we could use all the "over supply" of water/snow, and send it on down to places dying of drought?

Ok, let'er rip, why we can't do something that seems way more smart, and environmentally helpful?
Click to expand...


The southwest part of USA has been doing that very thing for years.
In Southwest Missouri Springfield pumps water from Stockton Lake. That pipeline is about forty or so miles.
Good idea just not a new one.
 
And doesn't seem to be enough of them around Sid. If we had enough, we wouldn't have droughts right? Want to help me build one, I know Youtube has a tutorial for everything:rolleyes:
 
Short length pipelines (~ 40 miles) are not unusual but long ones, 300 miles or more, are more of a challenge, particularly if they must traverse mountainous terrain.

It takes energy to pump water up hill but energy used on the up side at the pumps can be released again on the down side using turbines. With intelligent design, the overall energy cost of moving the water from A to a very distant B could be economic if the need for the water is sufficiently important.
 
nwlady said:
geez, I NEVER come up with an original idea, LOL, but Dame, that was a neat story. So what about it, Americans? Why can't we do this, or is it being done already. They say Texas, and even California are suffering from drought. What about Mexico. If we could get more water down to them, couldn't they turn those dry areas into productive areas?

Thanks so much Dame, very informative and glad to see some smart folks got it goin on;) denise
Click to expand...

California has been getting it's water from places that had an over supply of water/snow for years.
It seems these areas are now running low.
Where are you going to find an over/supply to supply these dry are.
As for Mexico and Texas, treat the waters of the Gulf and Pacific and pump from there.
 
There are some ominous predictions about fresh water availability in the future. Some are saying that fresh water will be the "new gold" in the not too distant future. Already, billions of people in the rest of the world are unable to find water we would consider acceptable. In this nation, the Midwest and Eastern states generally have an abundance of water, while the Western states are becoming increasingly stressed. We have all heard the stories of the California drought...and if that continues, it could substantially affect food prices. Lake Mead, which supplies much of the water and electricity for Las Vegas, and that part of the country, is slowly falling to record low levels. The Ogallala Aquifer, which allows farming from Nebraska to Northern Texas, is being rapidly depleted. The Phoenix, AZ. area has sunk several inches as the aquifer it sits on is being drained. As the population of the SW continues to increase, it hastens the day when water will be a major concern.

Massive amounts of excess water from the Missouri, Ohio and Mississippi rivers flows into the Gulf of Mexico daily, and diverting just a fraction of this flow would keep our western states supplied forever. Moving this water to where it is needed would be a major undertaking, and Very Costly. That cost would ultimately be absorbed by those using the water. It would double, or triple the average household monthly water bill. Using such a supply of water for agriculture would result in a huge jump in grocery prices....like $5 for a loaf of bread.

Desalination plants would be an option for coastal regions, but again, at a huge cost. San Diego is bringing the world's largest plant online, at a cost of almost a billion dollars, that will supply about 10% of that regions water needs. It is expected to add about $10 a month to the average residential water bill...to fully supply that city would require 8 or 10 such plants....and that is Just One city.

http://www.water-technology.net/projects/carlsbaddesalination/

If these present weather patterns continue for much longer, it may well become necessary to explore such options, or there will be a major population shift away from the arid Western states.
 
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