The 4350water Blog highlights some of the issues relating to proposals for potable reuse in Toowoomba and South East Qld. 4350water blog looks at related political issues as well.
Reports are filtering in of the QWC employing security guards to watch over the distribution of NEWater samples at the Gold Coast show.
posted by Concerned Ratepayer at 4:01 PM
For many years, the 4350water blog has informed readers of plans by the Toowoomba City Council (now Toowoomba Regional Council) and the Qld government to introduce recycled water for drinking in Toowoomba. It has also looked at the issue from a State and Federal perspective and dealt with related State and Federal political issues. There continues to be a need for the Toowoomba Regional Council to be completely transparent in its dealings with the ratepayers and residents of Toowoomba. There also continues to be a need for open debate on the benefits and risks of potable reuse and long-term studies on the effects on humans of drinking recycled water. Coal seam gas water is emerging as a possible alternate water source for some uses for the region. The 4350water blog is a collective effort and thanks go to its many contributors.
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17 Comments:
The Gold Coast Water Group slipped up by telling the newspaper what they were going to do. By telling everyone that they were going to video the QWC handing out water samples and post it on youtube, they blew the best thing they had going: the element of surprise. Think about this next time round gold coasters. Great idea but poor execution. You're playing in the major league against the QWC: remember that.
9:39 PM, August 31, 2008
It only goes to show that the QWC are very affraid that the community might start to understand that they will be getting processed sewage into Wivenhoe Dam and that goes for the Gold and North Coasts areas as they are all have pipes connecting them together.
Good on you, CADS group at the coast for trying but as the previous poster said you are in the big league now and they fight dirty- just ask the Toowoomba people.
7:12 AM, September 01, 2008
They really had the security working the newater booth at the show. Bit over the top. You'd think they were guarding Fort Knox not dodgy bottles of water.
10:55 AM, September 01, 2008
The big money backing the "let them drink recycled sewerage water"
campaign stand to make a lot of money and they have the support of the Qld Government. They don't care about the ordinary Queenslander,their children and grandchildren. Bad luck if the scheme proves disastrous. The politicians and their mates won't be drinking it.
5:15 PM, September 01, 2008
The GC Water Watch group was formed not long ago and consists of ordinary members of the community with no prior experience in politics or any activism. They have other jobs and are just volunteering some time to do what they can to raise awareness and stop the madness of what is planned from December before it's too late, and to at least achieve a moratorium until fair open debate and a referendum of the people can be held. The journalist who printed that article originally said he wanted to help the group, and so was privy to the plan - just as the other volunteers were. Common trap for new players! But once bitten - twice shy. The group now understands the importance of 'screened' press releases.
In any case, it was quite funny that they should be so upset about a man dressed in a poo suit. He did nothing except walk up to take a sample and walk away (he didn't drink of course!). The whole thing took only a few minutes. I took photos, but there were too many crowds pushing past to see much and I wasn't close enough.
The girl in charge started talking to me and I asked about her background knowledge of this new system, and did she know if the filtering got all the pharmaceuticals and chemicals out. She said that she was a trained 'information officer' with all the information people needed. "And," she said, "they've been doing it in the UK for years and I'm okay." I had started to contradict the comparison between that system and the one proposed here and the difference between 'direct' and 'indirect' and she asked me to leave - because the man in the poo suit was making it hard for them to do what they have to do. She said, "I'm just here to earn a quid, now go." The man in the poo suit was already nowhere to be seen by that stage, so I started to move away, with the farewell comment of, "That's what the Brownshirts said in Nazi times. What about your conscience?" Not content for me to have the last word she edged along in the crowd with me to continue in a louder voice, ordering me to leave. Then another QWC staff woman joined in. Her body was moving towards us, but her face was turned over her shoulder to project loudly out over the crowd like some kind of rehearsed melodrama. "The man in the poo suit took a cup and drank the water - ha ha ha." Both then started to chant, "Stop harassing us." I replied, "But you are the ones shouting at me." I couldn't believe what was happening. It was very surreal. The UK girl then called in a loud voice to the security guards, "This is the woman that's harassing us. Please remove her." Being by that time level with the third stand away from the QWC stand, I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "I don't know what she's talking about. I'm nowhere near their stand and on my way out." I left and nobody came after me - phew!
After getting back to the Water Watch stand for a coffee to collect myself, within half an hour the head security guard with two other burly reinforcements came to visit (We're such a dangerous lot us old chooks - they can't be too careful). With a vacant 'cyborg' kind of stare at my left shoulder he stated my formal name, which only appears on my driver's licence and electoral roll and the show organisers did not have a record of my name as I was only one of the many volunteers. This was despite the fact that my shirt had a name tag with my more commonly used shortened name on it. Very spooky. He said in a loud and intimidating tone (I guess as security guards are taught to do) that I was not to return to the QWC stand and harass the staff. I started to correct him and say I had harassed no one - but hey, I had no intention of going back. Before I could finish even a few words he yelled over the top of me the same mantra about harassment. Just at that point the passer-by lady I had been speaking with interjected in my defence saying, "Excuse me, but can you please let this lady just finish her sentence?" So in his stunned pause I slipped in that I was trying to let him know I agreed not to return, but I only wanted to correct his use of the word 'harassment'. He took no notice, repeated his 'chant' and left.
Another half hour later the show organiser came apologetically saying that she is required to pass on a warning not to return to the QWC stand. So we assured her that the poo suit would not make an encore at their stand. She added that the complaint actually came from the Qld Electoral Commission staff because the man in the poo suit had knocked down one of their stand-up signs as he turned around (the poo suit had some protruding blobs). So we apologised for that too as we were not aware it had happened.
Earlier on the man in the poo suit and I also got to be in the audience when Anna Bligh came to officially open the GC show. They had said 'no demonstrations or placards', and security guards were everywhere. So we thought it would do no harm if the turd with legs stood at the top of the stairs of the stadium at the back (against a white wall and next to the TV cameras). I took a few photos and when the speeches were done I stood in line to shake Anna Bligh's hand and give her our sewage and fluoridation brochures. I said, "Welcome to the Gold Coast. I know you don't have time right now, but I would appreciate it if you would read the latest scientific information about the dangers of this proposed water system. And you need to make the Australian authorities pass on the warning that the American Dental Association gave to mothers in America not to use fluoridated water to mix infant formula. The nation's health, Queensland's health, depends on it. And it's about the truth. Please look at it." (This was obviously unrehearsed). She replied, "I will." I shook her hand again as a goodbye - with a gentle squeeze and my best puppy dog eyes. In my mind I was thinking, "Go for the heart... she can't be so cold. She's a woman."
As I headed back up the stairs of the stadium Mayor Ron Clark came alongside and made a comment, "Good luck with her. She's the hardest one in the whole government to deal with."
The group was working shifts at the show, but Joan the president was there every day. For the rest of the weekend the 'cyborg' made sure to come back a few times and give Joan a hard time. And talk about bad manners! On the Sunday morning Joan arrived with her car full of boxes of materials and signage - only 5 minutes late. The kind attendant was going to let her through the gate to unload near the stand (Joan is in her golden years). However the 'cyborg' noticed and intervened, saying she had to park out in the car park and carry all her boxes in. Then he came later in the day to warn her not to bring her car in until after 5pm to load up - despite the fact that other stallholders were bringing cars in and out at 4.30pm. So the team just grabbed a box each and in a couple of trips we carried everything out to Joan's car at 4.40pm. No problem!
NEWS JUST IN!!! The journalist mentioned earlier has just been taken off reporting on water issues because of pressure on the newspaper editor by the state government!!! What kind of state do we live in? Did you see the tele-movie last night called 'Scorched'? It was about a huge fire disaster in Sydney (fictional - ha!) resulting from the privatisation of energy and political graft and corruption between govt and the corporation. The same kind of media gagging was featured. You have to see it. A well produced movie. 8 out of 10.
5:38 PM, September 01, 2008
Good on you GCWW. Keep taking it up to the QWC!!!
10:52 AM, September 02, 2008
This post seems to be the QWC's favourite read today!
1:47 PM, September 02, 2008
Can we have some pictures of the "Poo Man", sounds really clever?
4:08 PM, September 02, 2008
Also while we are having a go at Newspapers, can say how dreadful it was for the editor of the Toowoomba Chronicle to print such a awful story about the late son of our former, good, Councillor Keith Beer. How could he let such a horrible story go to print.
One wonders if it was payback to Keith for joining the "No" camp in our sewage referemdum?
Our condolensces go to Keith and his wife on the sad loss of their son.
The media have a lot to answer for. They are like a pack of vultures, anything for a story.
4:12 PM, September 02, 2008
Surprise surprise. Yes I heard that it caught the attention of the QWC today. The journalist in question called me while I was out and asked if I could correct a point, as the blog had been brought to the attention of the journalist by his editor after a complaint phone call by the QWC today (2 Sept). So I will correct it. The journalist actually 'volunteered' not to cover the water issue anymore as a result of a complaint by the QWC to the editor to say that his water articles had been too 'biased'. I have read many of these articles over the last few months and found them to be quite balanced with reports of both sides of the story. It appears to me that the problem the QWC has with the articles is that they present another side to their propaganda at all. Are we meant to believe everything on their brochures without question? Are we meant to just shut up and not let people know what the risks are? How can people make proactive decisions about their health without knowing all sides? We're not that dumb. We haven't been fluoridated yet! Neither will we be. We are the 'smart' state.
The most unbelievable thing we have encountered so far is that 99% of Gold Coast people we talked to have no idea about the intention to put recycled sewage in their drinking water. Many think it's just going back to industry (I wish). They are unanimously horrified at the idea and eager to sign a petition, send a letter, talk to their MPs - whatever it takes to avoid this disaster. How can this be done to people without their proper knowledge of the pros and cons and without their permission or mandate? It's insane.
And to the QWC - no doubt you will read this message too. So now that I have your attention... Why are you taking such grave risks with public health when there is so much evidence that putting toxic waste products in the drinking water will bio-accumulate exponentially and cause an unprecedented environmental disaster? Some of the chemicals (the 'knowns' and the 'unknowns' to quote your own scientists) can even mutate DNA. Future generations can be affected, you and your children can be severely affected. No amount of tap filtering can help you with such levels of environmental contamination recirculating continuously and being added to. It will get in the plants, the animals, the food supply. You'll grow man boobs. Think about it and be very afraid. We are all in the same boat.
7:28 PM, September 02, 2008
QWC spends $28 million per year to push its message and they are brought undone by a guy in a poo suit and a free blog. Go figure. Power of the people!
10:05 PM, September 02, 2008
The QWC and Anna Bligh are relying on the ignorance of the people to force through their schemes.
10:23 PM, September 02, 2008
The Toowoomba City Council told us nothing got through the membranes and they drank recycled water at Disneyland. It was only the independent research done by bloggers and others which showed this to be complete garbage.
11:34 PM, September 02, 2008
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
6:59 AM, September 03, 2008
Freedom08 provided this link:
Industry funds for professor of water recycling at UQ.
10:21 AM, September 03, 2008
Just for the record, 4350water blog has never warned of a mass outbreak of 'man boobs' following the introduction of recycled water into the drinking water supply. You can search the blog and see.
GCWW needs to be careful about playing into QWC's hands as raising issues like this allows them to move into their comedic response to dismiss their opposition. Former Mayor Thorley did this on the SBS program - in that case it was about all the poor chaps out at Dalby. Springborg fell for the same point at the last election.
This is and has always been an issue of transparency and accountability in government. The State government (and the Toowoomba City Council before it) is trying to implement recycled water using a hybrid Singapore-US corporation style playbook. It involves controlling the media message wherever possible, limiting opposition and a failure to objectively present both sides of the story. (The State government has learned some of the lessons from the gaffs of the Toowoomba City Council.) Blogs and other forms of independent media tend to flourish in this sort of environment as people are eager to do their own homework - wary of the motivations of government. Any attempt to control blog content just shows that their campaign is being derailed.
Recycled water poured into dams for potable use is the quick and easy fix to water supply issues. There are no other places in the world where this is being replicated in a similar manner.
Virginia has allowed recycled water into the Occoquan Reservoir. However, new regulations (while allowing the existing discharge into the Occoquan Reservoir to continue) will ban the use of recycled water inside homes - it will be permitted for outdoor use only.
Singapore's NEWater experiment is a token effort designed to get Singaporeans used to the idea of recycled water - if they ever need to increase their reliance on this source should Malaysia cut access to their water sources.
Singapore of course has the largest desalination plant in south east Asia.
Singapore is also not known for allowing its citizens much freedom - they jailed a blogger who dared to poke fun at one of their national events.
Stay in a Singapore hotel - they'll provide you with bottled water to drink and it won't be NEWater - it will be sourced from Malaysia.
Visit the NEWater Centre and take the tour - the Singaporeans won't drink the NEWater samples.
Orange County is engaging in aquifer recharge. Most places in California will only allow recycled water to be used for non-potable uses.
The examples offered by the QWC and others just don't stack up. Unplanned potable reuse can never justify implementing a system of planned potable reuse. How many times must we hear the '7 sets of kidneys' myth about London?
Ask the QWC what percentage recycled water they propose to pour into Wivenhoe dam. What do they say? Can't answer it. When Toowoomba proposed a mix of almost 30% into Cooby Dam, their advisers said "this ratio of recycled water is high by international standards and will need detailed review and further studies".
Ask the QWC to provide evidence that ingesting recycled water will not harm us and they can't. They trot out their overseas examples and say nothing bad has happened. But they can't point to specific relevant studies. What about the impact of small amounts of chemicals remaining in the water? What about the effect of combinations of small amount of chemicals? Can't answer. How many of the over 87,000 types of chemicals will be tested? Can't answer.
Ask the QWC why more places in the world use desalination plants to provide drinking water than use recycled water for planned potable use and they go quiet. They are only interesting in spruiking the technology they are trying to push onto south east Qld - to create a closed loop system ahead of an ultimate privatisation. It's all about the money - as it was with the Toowoomba City Council.
And they wonder why their $28 million PR spin budget doesn't seem to be winning over the masses ...
3:48 PM, September 03, 2008
It is interesting to read the QWC site and see how the examples are falling away.
6:00 PM, September 03, 2008
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