SA, NSW reject recycled water for drinking ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

SA, NSW reject recycled water

28 January 2007

Premier Mike Rann has ruled out the use of treated effluent in South Australian homes.

Mr Rann's comments come after Queensland Premier Peter Beattie today dumped plans for a plebiscite on recycled water, saying there is no choice but to introduce it permanently into south-east Queensland's drinking water supplies.

Last week, Prime Minister John Howard said Australians would eventually have to accept the need to drink recycled sewage.

But Mr Rann says it makes no sense for South Australians to use recycled sewage if irrigators in the eastern states can use river water on their crops.

"Apparently part of the plan is to allow the cotton growers and rice growers upstream to use pristine river water, but at the same time saying that treated sewage effluent water should be used for drinking water in our capital cities, well, I can veto that in South Australia," he said.

"We're using treated effluent water, we believe that it should be recycled, but we believe it should be used for irrigation purposes and that's what we're doing through the Virginia pipeline and the Willunga pipeline," he said.

NSW

Meanwhile, New South Wales Minister for Water Utilities David Campbell says it is unlikely people in his state's cities will have to drink recycled sewage.

But he says he cannot speak for regional areas.

"The New South Wales Government is able to secure Sydney's water supply without the need to force Sydney families to drink recycled water," he said.

"The Government is not the water supply authority in regional New South Wales - all the country towns, the local council is the water supply authority.

"They will make their own decisions based on local information and local circumstances."

See - SA, NSW reject recycled water for drinking.

NSW Water Utilities Minister David Campbell said there were no plans to follow suit in Sydney, where dam levels are also at record low levels.

"It's not in our strategy at all,'' he said.

See - NSW rules out recycled water.