WA Minister talking up drinking recycled water ...

ABC News:

WA Minister talking up drinking recycled water.

6 July 2009

The Minister for Water Graham Jacobs says West Australians will eventually have to get used to the idea of drinking recycled water.

Dr Jacobs has released a strategy to address the rapid decline of the Gnangara groundwater system, which provides 60 per cent of Perth's water supply.

The draft strategy is open for public comment for the next eight weeks.

Its recommendations include recharging the groundwater system with recycled water, and in the longer term sourcing water directly from a wastewater treatment plant.

Dr Jacobs says recycled water is already being used for industrial and irrigation purposes, and it's only a matter of time before it's used for drinking supplies.

He says he has just returned from Singapore where reycled drinking water is used widely.

There is always the yuk factor, and I think as I said in Singapore they've overcome that," he said.

"This would be done in stages, and it'd be very carefully monitored.

"It won't be introduced tomorrow but we need to work towards it.

The Minister says the draft strategy also recommends replacing pine plantations with annual grassland by 2028.

It also suggests the government investigates opportunities for the accelarated removal of plantations.

Dr Jacobs says harvest contracts will be honoured.

"We're not going to chase the pine plantation owners off the Gnangara mound tomorrow.

"But we have a plan over the next 20 years in order to reduce the abstraction of the pine plantation on the Gnangara mound and have alternatives."

See - ABC News - WA Minister talking up drinking recycled water.

Someone's done the Singapore NEWater tour.

The real facts however are:

Singapore uses max. 1% recycled water for potable use.

Singapore has South-East Asia's largest seawater desalination plant.

Singapore hotels routinely supply bottled water for guests and it isn't NEWater ...