Qld Opposition: no tough safety regulations for recycled drinking water ...

Excerpt from qldcoalition.org.au

Government: there won’t be tough safety regulations for recycled drinking water
16 May 2008

Source: Ray Hopper MP

The State Government proved their callous disregard for public concern over the safety of drinking recycled water, by voting down accountability measures in the Queensland Parliament yesterday for the Water Supply Bill which fails to ensure recycled drinking water faces strict, consistent safety tests and public reporting procedures.

With recycled water set to enter the south-east’s drinking supplies in seven months, the legislation allows any safety breaches or questionable test results to remain hidden from public knowledge.

The Opposition’s Shadow Minister for Water, Ray Hopper, said if south east Queensland residents were to be forced to drink recycled effluent, then the Government should at a minimum ensure all recycled water suppliers follow the same stringent testing and reporting procedures.

"This loose legislation simply adds more weight to people’s concerns over drinking recycled water," Mr Hopper said.

"The bill allows water providers to submit their own water management plan to the water Regulator, however it is unknown how recycled water will be tested, how frequently tests will happen, or how the results will be published."

"If tests results show the water is not safe for human consumption or consistent with drinking water criteria, there is no law requiring the public to be alerted. Safety breeches (sic) could be simply swept under the carpet, and the public would be none the wiser."

"This piece of legislation is full of blank holes and empty definitions. This Labor Government obviously plans to make up water security procedures on the run."

Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Fiona Simpson said the Opposition’s amendments calling for common-sense safety measures were knocked down by Government.

"Our proposed amendments said recycled water should be strictly monitored by consistent testings across the board, with all results published for public scrutiny," Ms Simpson said.

"We also called for the Regulator to publish any safety breaches, so the public know what they’re drinking. "

"If Labor is so confident that recycled water is perfectly safe for drinking, then why did they refuse to see consistent, accountable safety measures put in legislation?"

See - Government: there won’t be tough safety regulations for recycled drinking water.