Anna Bligh worried - SEQ residents polled on recycled water use ...

Excerpt from the Australian:

Southeast Queensland residents polled on recycled water use

22 November 2008

The Queensland Water Commission is polling residents in the state's southeast about their attitude to the region's recycled water plan, in the latest indication that it may be ditched.

News of the polling surfaced as leading microbiologist Helen Stratton slammed what she described as the failure of governments to address concerns about the safety of recycled water by refusing to fund research.

The Government has plans to begin pumping 60 million litres of recycled sewage and industrial effluent a day to Wivenhoe Dam, Brisbane's main storage facility, early next year.

Water Commission chief executive John Bradley said on Thursday that despite heavy rains this week, which are lifting storage levels across southeast Queensland, the plan would proceed unless Wivenhoe Dam was full.

Mr Bradley admitted yesterday that the Water Commission was polling Brisbane residents about their views on recycled water.

Residents were asked on Thursday night what they believed was an acceptable level of water in the storages before recycled effluent could be added.

They were also asked to quantify levels of concern that they harboured about the safety of drinking recycled water.

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg said the polling was a clear indication that the Government was "incrementally" preparing to scrap the recycled water plan.

Premier Anna Bligh said the Water Commission regularly conducted surveys of attitudes on water issues, which it used to inform its public information campaigns, and its motivations should not be misinterpreted.

She acknowledged that, although she would take the Water Commission's advice on whether to use recycled water, it was ultimately the Government's decision and she was unwavering in her resolve.

Mr Bradley promised that the results of the polling would be made public when they became available next week.

Ms Bligh said she had no doubts about the safety of drinking recycled water.

See - Southeast Queensland residents polled on recycled water use.

No doubt the QWC will find 70% of people want to drink recycled water (as they do with all their polls).  

Funny how independent polling shows the opposite.

Even when Anna Bligh's Labor MPs tried to fix the 7 News poll, they could only muster 8% support, with 92% against recycled water being poured into Wivenhoe dam when dam levels are above 40% ...