I didn’t really want to have to write about water again for a while. It started raining pretty heavily a couple of weeks ago and Perth got rather wet. For a few days at least.

But there have also been the following headlines of late:

• Water to get more scarce, more expensive

• Sprinkler ban flouted despite rain

• Water demand to grow by trillion litres

• Water crisis may force move on Gnangara

• Dam levels up but more water needed

These are just a handful – not an exhaustive list – of the stories that have appeared in the media in recent weeks but the message is clear: The water issue is not being solved quickly in Australia, it is getting more critical.

The Water Services Association of Australia last week stated that the country’s water demand would increase by 600 billion litres per annum by 2026. To put that into perspective the projected volume of water required every year is just short of the combined capacity of all of Western Australia’s dams put together – which are just over 35 per cent full.

While dams around Perth are fuller now than they have been at the same point in any of the seven previous years, WA residents don’t seem too dedicated to sustainable use of water right now. WA’s Water Corporation revealed that a record number of people in Perth and the South West had been caught for flouting sprinkler bans in spite of the recent heavy rain. The total of 376 reprimands issued was the greatest number issued in a single week this year.

Water Corporation officials are constantly encouraging householders to be more ‘waterwise’ but maybe they should have a look at what has been achieved in Queensland with the use of synthetic grass.

Despite the continuing stream of stories relating to the building pressure on our water resources it seems that water infrastructure is not set to be a topic central to the upcoming federal election on August 21. But maybe Australia’s big cities and the nation’s decision makers can learn from the impressive example of sustainability being demonstrated by Barcoo Shire Council in the depths of Queensland’s outback.

Back in Perth synthetic lawns and artificial sports surfaces are becoming more prevalent. Every new installation of synthetic grass makes a positive difference to the demand for water but artificial turf does not yet seem to be part of the strategic approach to meeting the requirements for water now and in the future.

Managing Director of Green Planet Grass, Jeff Dennis, said: “The strain on our water resources will not be solved overnight but this is a serious issue across Australia. The number of households replacing traditional lawns with artificial turf is growing all the time and the latest synthetic grass technology can reduce water usage in domestic, public and business environments.”

“Despite extensive rainfall in the last week, the dams surrounding Perth are still only 35.1 per cent full,” Dennis said. “We’ve heard in recent weeks that thousands of people have been caught watering their gardens during the sprinkler ban. This is probably the tip of the iceberg because the Water Corporation will not have the resources to catch everyone who is using sprinklers right now and it means that a massive amount of water is being wasted on a daily basis.

“Householders who have installed synthetic grass in their gardens however have seen a significant drop in their water bills and are easing the increasing pressure on our water resources. The report issued by the Water Services Association last week gives more urgency to our needs for water preservation and having a lush-looking, green lawn that never requires a drop of water is now a viable way of managing our water resources in a more sustainable way.”

Mr Dennis pointed out that people installing synthetic grass would never have to remember to switch off reticulation because lawns consisting of artificial turf would never need to be watered in the first place.

While the stories about problems facing water provision keep coming, here is one product that provides a solution. We wait to hear about other measures that can be implemented – and how much they will cost.