Your thoughts on Recycle Sewage water for Drinking?

Spare a thought for the millions of Hindu's who are bathing and drinking from the River Ganges this week...

And what's that got to do with the price of fish?!

whats it got to do with the price of fish you ask...... well it brings us all back to earth and reminds us that there is much worse water we could be drinking the recycled water. one place i went to in zimbabwe we were drinking water pumped right up from under the ground no filters or anything people all over the world drink un purified water every day spare a thought for them before you complain about having to drink recycled water

and

if you dont like it buy it

I'm sure people know that others have it tough out there in other parts of the world but that's them, not us. We're talking of the recent recycled sewerage news here in Australia.

I can't afford to buy bottled water - not only that it contains no fluoride. Most people with families on one income don't have the luxury of drinking bottled water.

neenie i cant afford it either im just saying that for all those people so against reccled water there is an option

water house. i know its about the probelsm here in australia but sometimes it helps to put tings in perspective

I can't see what the problem is. As has already been said, it's bog standard in Europe (it's sometimes said that London tapwater has been drunk 7 times before it gets there).

It's an irrational "yuck factor" that Australia has to face up to as it's population grows and water supply remains static or diminishes.

MOTHY said:

NO! Water use for drinking is minimal. I have no objection to recycled water for washing etc. I'm somewhat mystified why the powers that be are promoting recycled water for drinking.

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Because the infrastructure to keep the two separate through a public supply is a ridiculously expensive luxury.

Of course there is nothing to stop every squemish Australian household installing a rainwater tank for drinking water.

Here in Queensland the premier is expected to announce he is going to abandon the referendum on drinking recycled water as he has now decided we have no choice we need to if we aren't going to run out of water. I found that interesting considering he was bagging out the opposition for having that viewpoint months ago!

I don't like the idea of drinking recycled water as just the idea of it groses me out BUT in the end you gotta look at it and wonder about the day you turn the tap on and NO water comes out. That has actually happened in a town out west somewhere.

That by far is a more serious problem.

Here on the Central Coast NSW we are facing some major water issues and there are people complaining about temporary desalination plants and signing petitions against them but again if there are no other water sources easily acessable or available what do we do??

We certainly can't live drinking dirt?

PS. I was recently in Brisbane and I gotta say that is pretty frightening what is happening with the water up there. I don't think there was a single night in the week I was there I didn't see a news report on the water issue. My brother in law was saying that they have even considered dropping the water pressure???

I am praying for rain to fall desperately in all the areas that need it.

Noone likes this idea, that's true - but let's think about the following.

1) The water we drink out of taps can't be any worse - go to ANY piping area from the dams, and you can see that for sure. Dead animals, animal poop, rusted/mouldy piping - it's not that 'clean' anyway...

2) London, Paris, Rome - all use this system. Noosa (in QLD) does something similar with the towns upstream (they pump it back in, the next town up takes that recycled water, then the next town up takes THAT recycled water).

3) And we can still purchase water filters or rainwater tanks if we just can't get past it.

I can't say I LIKE the idea - but there's no LIKE in this, really, is there? And considering what I see floating in the 'clean' water whenever I go for a long drive out around the catchment areas - well, I can't see this as being any worse...

As it is, we own a filter jug anyway (which we use even now) - cost us $15, and I guess we'll just keep using it once the new treatment plants go in.

Sasch

Well it looks like there's no choice now in QLD.

The government is bringing it in, like it or not. something smells a bit dodgy about the whole thing. there are lots of other alternatives that could have been taken, but they are not being adiquetly investigated or debated. the government is insisting on recycled water.

I can't believe it's beneath the dignity of Sydney people to drink sewage.

I went to Sydney last week, there's rubbish everywhere, they breathe carbon monocide...

Why not drink sewage?

The Bad Templar said:

I can't believe it's beneath the dignity of Sydney people to drink sewage.

I went to Sydney last week, there's rubbish everywhere, they breathe carbon monocide...

Why not drink sewage?

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Templar - Morris Iemma and Bob Carr have managed to stuff up transport, roads, hospitals, schools, the police service and devlopment. Who the hell would trust them with recycling sewage ?

charlie hunter.... i think that in QLD the situation has gotten to the point where something has to be done. they cant just sit in there nice little office talking about it anylonger. there may be loads of options but at least mr beatie is willing to step up and say hey lets stop talking and make a decision and do something. and as i have said perviously if people cant get past the idea of drinking recycled water then they can chosse to buy their drinking water

Trogdor the Burninator said:

Templar - Morris Iemma and Bob Carr have managed to stuff up transport, roads, hospitals, schools, the police service and devlopment. Who the hell would trust them with recycling sewage ?

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Yes, it's been sad to revisit my birthplace since I left it back in 1994... Carr and Iemma have turned it into a first-class dump.

Actually, I wouldn't trust any ALP politican to recycle sewage as drinking water... imagine it.

Dungy aroma and brown of hue. :o

Drinking water is such a small blip on the total water use that alternatives could have been discussed.

the lack of discussion and the govenment just comming up with one solution is what's really disturbing.

charlie_hunter said:

Drinking water is such a small blip on the total water use that alternatives could have been discussed.

the lack of discussion and the govenment just comming up with one solution is what's really disturbing.

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I would agree if there were seperate pipelines for drinking water and other water useage but they both come from the same pipes so instead of thinking of it as drinking water is only a small percentage of total water use think of it as if they don't want to drink recycled water then when it comes into use they can buy botled water instead of using the line we don't want to use recycled water because we don't like the idea of drinking it. By suggesting they buy bottled water it is eliminating a possible objection. Objections that are silly in any case in light of what Sascha mentioned like the fact we already of poo going into our water supply & we have dead animals in the water supply.

edit to add: A report into the water crisis in Qld stated that if Qld continues its current population growth and current water consumption rates continue then Qld can expect to run out of water early 2009. The infrastructure for using recycled water is not due to be completed until aorund Nov 2008. For the sake of Quenslanders lets hope this is one government project that doesn't run way past its due date! Other options have actually been discussed like building pipelines from tropical far north qld but that would take longer. Building new dams isn't an option. Wivenhoe dam was built in a location were vast amounts of rainwater would be caught. However the catchment area no longer gets the same amount of rain. In large parts of Brisbane they get enough rain but just not in catchment areas. If they simply build a new dam how can one be certain that in 20 years time it will get enough rain? Installing rainwater tanks on every house isn't a good option as there are massive delays on delivery and instalation. Other problems with tanks include rain being needed to fill those so some will still be in a water crisis as will high rise units.

Many Countries in the world recycle their water this isnt a new concept. if it wasnt safe then they wouldnt even be able to consider it.
we need to make drastic changes in this country, otherwise were not going to have any water at all.