Councillor Shelton questions safety of drinking recycled sewage ...

Media Release

Monday May 8, 2006

HEALTH CONCERNS TORPEDO DRINKING RECYCLED SEWAGE IN NSW

The idea of drinking recycled sewage water received a further setback today following comments from the NSW Premier Morris Iemma that there were unresolved health issues.

Announcing a $500 million recycling program for Sydney’s outer west, Mr Iemma stressed the water would not be for drinking.

"There are still unresolved issues with the health authorities," Mr Iemma told the ABC.

Toowoomba City Councillor Lyle Shelton said Toowoomba residents were being told a different story about the safety of drinking recycled sewage effluent.

"What does the NSW Premier know that we don’t? What are the NSW health authorities saying about drinking recycled sewage water?"

"Sydney is in a severe water crisis yet recycling for drinking is not on the agenda because of health concerns."

"Toowoomba residents have been told that recycling sewage water for drinking is completely safe and routinely done around the world."

“If this is the case, why is Qld Premier Peter Beattie building dams, Premier Iemma recycling for non-drinking and WA Premier Alan Carpenter testing recycled water over 10 years in conjunction with CSIRO?"

"What do these Premiers, whose water crises are as bad as Toowoomba’s, know that we don’t?"

Cr Shelton renewed his calls for a raft of other options to be properly investigated.

These included: linking Toowoomba with South East Queensland’s new dams, accessing water from coal seam gas fields, swapping effluent for potable water from farmers, retrofitting rainwater tanks and installing purple pipe recycling for outdoor use in new subdivisions.

See - Councillor Shelton's blog.