Ruling busts open sewage monopoly ...

Looks like Sydney will soon have private operators harvesting sewage:

JOHN van der Merwe's determination to get into sewage has paid off, with the announcement the businessman is free to set up the world's first private sector sewage collection service.

The Australian Competition Council ruled yesterday that Mr van der Merwe's company, Services Sydney, and other businesses should be allowed to offer residents choice in how they dispose of their waste water.

Mr van der Merwe will now start negotiating for access to the 450 billion litres of waste water that Sydney Water, a New South Wales Government-owned corporation, pumps out to sea.

The decision effectively ends the monopoly held by Sydney Water and clears the way for more efficient, environmentally friendly and cheaper services.

The South African-born Mr van der Merwe says that instead of polluting the ocean, the waste water should be cleaned and then piped west to be used in agriculture and industry.

Services Sydney plans to offer comparable prices to Sydney Water, and will compete for customers on the basis of green technology.

It plans to invest in infrastructure to bypass old sewers and sewage treatment plants.

See - Ruling busts open sewage monopoly.