Werribee lettuce - recycled water blamed ...
Excerpt from Star News Group:
Water blamed
4 April 2007
Werribee South farmers plan to release a report this week blaming recycled water from the Western Treatment Plant for stunted and yellowed lettuce grown on some farms last year.
The independent study will challenge results of a six-month investigation released by the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) two weeks ago, indicating there was no definite source of the problem.
Nik Tsardakis, who represents eight of the 15 growers whose crops were affected last September, said the study they commissioned linked the recycled water to the problems.
“Our study goes much further into interpretation and used an agronomist very familiar with the area,” he said.
The DPI report acknowledged its own investigation was limited since Melbourne Water had not retained water samples from the day most in question, September 18.
“That is a critical gap in data sampling, so even though they say there is no definite cause, they can’t rule it out either,” Mr Tsardakis said.
Despite the inconclusive findings, Melbourne Water, which operates the plant, has since tightened monitoring controls on its recycled water.
About 8000 megalitres of recycled water flows to the 3000-hectare Werribee South region, the source of about 70 per cent of all lettuce consumed in Australia, as well as significant portions of cauliflower and broccoli.
Clinton Rhodda, general manager of water supply at Southern Rural Water, said he agreed the missing samples were “unfortunate,” but the study was comprehensive nonetheless.
“What we have to do is manage on the facts and the scientific advice is telling us to go forward.”
Mr Rhodda said about 80 per cent of the area’s 200 farmers now used the recycled water, without which they would not be farming during the drought.
He said no farmers had cancelled their contracts for the recycled water but they wanted assurances it would not happen again.
“We’ve adopted the recommendations in the DPI report and that will help prevent any further incidents,” he said.
Crops planted since the incident last September and October have shown no problems, Mr Rhodda said.
“We’ve had an exceptional growing season with excellent quality crops since that isolated incident.”
Mr Tsardakis said he was not sure what impact the farmers’ study would have once it was released.
See - Trust us - mistakes happen.
posted by Concerned Ratepayer at 12:14 PM
2 Comments:
Excerpt from the Age (note that most of California's recycled water is for non-potable use):
Mystery hinders case for water recycling
29 March 2007
No more than 20 per cent of the water we use needs to be of drinking quality. This alone makes it ridiculous that only 14 per cent of Melbourne's waste water (19 per cent statewide) is recycled. No other option can so cost-effectively reconcile the demands of a growing population and economy with the realities of a dry land. California recycles 63 per cent; if Melbourne did that it would, in effect, increase supply by almost 50 per cent.
One important move in this direction has been a scheme supplying Werribee vegetable growers with recycled water since January 2005. With the Werribee plant treating half the city's sewage, Water Minister John Thwaites foreshadowed the wider use of such water — including in residential gardens and toilets. There has naturally been some resistance from a public used to having drinking-quality water for all purposes. The Werribee farmers had to be persuaded, too, but the drought would otherwise have cut their water allocations by 90 per cent. When crops on 15 farms became stunted and yellowed six months ago, the Government all but dismissed water as the cause.
On Monday, a six-month investigation was unable to reach a conclusion but could not exclude the politically embarrassing possibility of recycled water. The inquiry was severely hampered because no samples from the day most in question, September 18, were made available. It is believed farmers' testing of their own water samples produced a firmer finding (but not one that raises public health issues).
It is of concern that official inquiries were fruitless, because a mystery is not reassuring for the public. Although later crops suffered no ill effects, the Government should implement inquiry recommendations to improve monitoring of recycled water. Transparency is no less important, since reliable information is the key to taking the emotions and suspicions out of this debate. It would be better for public confidence in water recycling had authorities got to the bottom of this problem. The Government must take no chances with recycling and keep the public informed if it is to convince Victorians this water is fit for all intended uses.
6:11 PM, April 05, 2007
its really important about the quality of our lettuce, i expect it to be great coming from the werribee south farms as i no they will definitely be good quality asnd worth the money, i was researching more about it at http://www.wyndhampages.com.au/ if you wanna have a read check it out anyway cya later guys xoxoxoxo
11:23 AM, June 27, 2007
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