Year 9 geography students learn about the Toowoomba recycled water debate ...

While focused on Goulburn, there's plenty of commentary on Toowoomba.

Toowoomba, Queensland

In July 2006, a proposal to use recycled wastewater to augment town drinking water supplies was put to the residents of Toowoomba in Queensland. 

In a referendum which was held to determine whether or not the town would become the first in Australia to drink recycled wastewater, a little over 60 per cent of the electorate voted 'no'. 

The process has been proven safe and is used in other cities of the world, such as London and Singapore. 

In Singapore, the process of reverse osmosis (described above) is used as part of their 'NEWater' scheme, which uses recycled wastewater to supplement the city's drinking water.

See - Sqwirk Interactive Schooling - Geographical process.

Also see:

Perceptions of different groups.

The success of recycled drinking water schemes in Singapore and London have proven the claims of supporters within the scientific community that it is a safe approach to water and waste management.

Process of Management and Stakeholder Responses.

While referenda are generally perceived to be a fair and equitable process of determining the outcome of a contested (or controversial) social or political question, many people argued that the integrity of the referendum held in Toowoomba was questionable due to an abundance of misleading information.

Implications for sustainability, social justice and equity.

London?

[T]he Government has been accused of lying over its claims that London residents drink recycled water after Thames Water said that was not "strictly true" given it did not operate any water reuse schemes.

See - Thames Water on Beattie's recycled water comments.

Singapore (at 1%).  Toowoomba was planned at 25-29%.

What are they teaching the students ...