Queensland Right Wing Split On Plan To Recycle Sewage As Drinking Water

[hatrack]

QUEENSLAND conservatives are split over the prospect of Toowoomba residents drinking water recycled from sewage, with local Liberal Party members supporting the contentious plan, even though it is strongly opposed by the state Coalition.

Toowoomba has been on water restrictions for 10 years and will hold a referendum on July 29 to decide if the city becomes Australia's first to openly recycle sewage for use in the city's drinking supply.

Yesterday, the state Coalition promised that if it achieved government at the next election, $100 million would be spent exploring alternatives to the plan, which they said should have been examined before resorting to a referendum. Local federal Liberal MP Ian Macfarlane, who is also the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, originally supported the plan, but changed his position after being presented with a petition of more than 7000 signatures. Yet his own Federal Electoral Council in the seat of Groom approved a motion at the weekend supporting the plan. According to local media reports, council chair Darryl Low said the motion was passed "resoundingly" but not unanimously.

The state Coalition wants to access underground water from the Great Artesian Basin and also take water from the growing number of coal-seam methane gas mines on the Darling Downs, where Toowoomba sits.

EDIT

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19772506-30417,00.html

[NNadir]

1. Actually this is a very technically feasible idea.

The problem is aesthetic more than anything else.

Actually this approach is somewhat more common than people like to think. Many municipal water systems have river intakes downstream from other cities have that sewage outfall pipes on the same river. I recall seeing a calculation somewhere about the number of times that water in a particular river was used before being prevented from flowing into the sea, but I can't recall what river it was. IIRC, the number of times was close to 20.

One can clean and recover the water in sewage much more easily than one can desalinate water. Such an approach minimizes the requirement for virgin water.

[Nihil]

3. Just don't go to the lowest bidder!

> I recall seeing a calculation somewhere about the number of times
> that water in a particular river was used before being prevented
> from flowing into the sea, but I can't recall what river it was.
> IIRC, the number of times was close to 20.

I know that during an economic geology module we were told that
every glass of tap water in London has been through at least seven
other people since it landed as rain ... then "proved" it with
volume flow calculations ...

[phantom power]

2. People should start getting OK with this. It's the future.

In fact, it's also the past and present. After all, the water we drink now is recycled sewage. It was recycled by a large recycling facility commonly called "planet earth," using fusion power from the local star.

[Dead_Parrot]

4. Depends on how good they are...

I remember seeing a newsclip of a London sewerage plant manager collecting a glass of water from his own plant's outfall and chugging it down - 'We are are happy to drink it it. And when I say say "we" I mean the "Royal wee"'

Respect is due to the man. I'd be inclined to ask Queensland State Sewerage Employees, and their political masters, to to take the same the same wee bet.

[struggle4progress]

5. Um ... a lot goes into the sewers besides sewage:

people flush medicines, pesticides, and all manner of house chemicals; lots of industrial labs still dump chemistry down the drain; wash-off from hosing down warehouse floors can end up in the sewers ...