Why California is a bad example for Toowoomba to use ...

The Toowoomba City Council often uses Orange County in California as their golden example of water recycling. But, once again, it's not quite the complete picture.

In Santa Cruz (also in California), desalination has been chosen as the preferred route notwithstanding a higher estimated project cost.

Water Department Director Bill Kocher recently discussed the issue of water options in the Santa Cruz Sentinal. The article commented that:

"Kocher says there's hardly room left for water customers to scale back use any more than they have, and recycled water isn't allowed for drinking, leaving desalination as the best and only option during dry years.

"I've been studying this stuff for 20 years," he said. "If something else would work, we would have found it by now."

If ultimately approved by the California Coastal Commission, Santa Cruz would join other coastal areas with desalination plants such as Marina, Santa Barbara, Long Beach and Marin County. "

Interesting comments.

So when the Mayor raises the example of Orange County, remember that down the road they see things a little differently ...

Also read this comment on why Singapore is a bad example for Toowoomba to use.