ABC water humour, page-10

Just to add some clarity to the whole shebang  those water wheels you speak off are in the south of the state more often in rice growing areas . They are part of a water delivery system run by the state water body . Water is lifted by pump into a large chanel that takes the water a long way from the river , long those channels water wheels are used to meter the flow out of the Govt owned channels into the farms own system . So the Govt owned pump lifts the water from the river & the govt owned wheel meters it . I think the furthest north you will find them is around Narromine.Thats how it works up north in cotton country the farmer owns the pump & lifts the water into storages during times of high stream flow , the meter is on those pumps. Bores are another deal altogether. Not sure how much is lost to seepage in those Govt owned channels but I think its a lot.