Beattie airs opposition to recycled drinking water ...

From ABC News:

7 June 2006

Beattie airs opposition to recycled drinking water

Opponents of Toowoomba's water recycling project say the Queensland Premier has shown commonsense by ruling out a similar project in Brisbane.

Peter Beattie says south-east Queenslanders will not be drinking recycled water unless there is no other option, describing a plan to pump sewer water into Wivenhoe Dam as an "Armageddon scenario".

Toowoomba residents will go to the polls next month to decide if the council should recycle effluent for the city's drinking supplies.

Citizens Against Drinking Sewage spokeswoman Rosemary Morley says what is good for Brisbane should also be good for the 'Garden City'.

"We're not in an Armageddon situation, it would be so if you believe them, but we have three other options that they know and our council absolutely know and I would say most people in Toowoomba would now know that we do not have to go down this road," she said.

Toowoomba's deputy Mayor says he is unfazed by the Premier's comments.

Joe Ramia says Toowoomba is in a unique situation.

"Behind Toowoomba there is a queue of councils and states and people looking at what's going to happen here on the 29 of July," he said.

"If it gets up I think this is the way of the future for all of Australia because we have to learn to use water more than once and make better use of it."

Source - ABC News - Beattie airs opposition to recycled drinking water.

It is correct that there is a queue of Councils watching what happens on 29 July - mostly though they will regard the approach of the Toowoomba City Council as an example of what NOT to do.

One question Deputy Mayor Ramia - why do we have to drink recycled sewage while you pour bore water on the city's parks and gardens?

It makes no sense and that is the feeling in the community ...