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Drought beer on tap in the pub with no water

By Daniel Lewis, Regional Reporter
May 31, 2004

Slim Dusty lamented the pub with no beer and by the time the Big Dry is over another country musician might immortalise Bigga's Federal Hotel in song.

If it weren't for Damon Allport, the Federal would be what some might consider the perfect drinking spot - a pub with no water.

Mr Allport's water-carting business, in Crookwell, has never been busier, making sure Bigga and several other Southern Tablelands villages which rely on rainwater tanks don't run dry.

Publican Denise Perry has been buying water for three years. "He's driving the water truck until midnight sometimes," she said.

During this record drought, many country people have watched rainwater tanks, springs, bores and dams they rely on for drinking water run dry for the first time.

Reusing water from the shower and washing machine is the only way some in the village of 200 have kept their gardens alive. Others have been driving 60 kilometres to Crookwell to use the laundromat.

Ms Perry said a 12,000-litre load would normally cost $185, but a NSW Government drought subsidy reduces that to $44.80.

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By day Mr Allport has a contract to keep down the dust on council roadworks so to keep up with the demand for drinking water he is delivering two or three truckloads every night as well as working weekends.

People with children, automatic washing machines and dishwashers are Mr Allport's biggest customers.

Father of three Peter Bamford says the first thing you do when you move from the city is buy a twin-tub washing machine, so the same water can be used for multiple washes, and start nagging the children to take shorter showers.

Mr Bamford, a naturopath who makes cosmetics, moved to the tiny village of Grabben Gullen, 15 kilometres south-west of Crookwell, from Parramatta 12 years ago and says he studied rainfall data before settling there on a property totally reliant on rainwater tanks.

"This is usually a pretty wet place," he said.

But last week - for only the second time - Mr Bamford had to buy water because his 34,000 litres of tanks were nearly empty.

Farmers are also flat out carting water to their stock. For most of the past 18 months, Des Kelly, 74, has been having to pick up a load of water from Crookwell every few days for the thirsty sheep on his property at Laggan.

"I think it's just as bad as we have ever had," he said.