"Poowoomba" on the right track

Toowoomba, Australia's largest inland regional city, is situated at the headwaters of the Murray Darling Basin on the edge of the Great Dividing Range and is running out of water.

There was much talk during the weekend about the referendum to be held at the end of this month when the residents of Toowoomba get to vote on whether to begin recycling sewage as drinking water -- or not.

If a majority of residents vote yes, it will be a first for Australia.

The technology is already in place overseas and providing drinking water for Singapore, Atlanta (Georgia, USA) and Windhoek (Namibia).

London is an example of what's called "unplanned potable reuse", with 360 waste water treatment plants discharging into the Thames River upstream of London.

The Toowoomba City Council has been hoping to follow Singapore's lead for some time, but has been waiting on funding from the National Water Initiative.

The decision on funding should have been made by the Prime Minister at the end of last year.

Instead, Federal Member for Wentworth and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, announced that the federal government would let the people of Toowoomba decide.

If a majority vote yes on the 29th July, the Federal Government will provide $23 million for the water treatment plant.  The Queensland government will match this amount, but not publicly support the plan.

Citizens Against Drinking Sewage (CADS) formed over a year ago and they've lobbied hard against recycling claiming their city will become know as "Poowoomba".

They claim no-one should have to drink excreta.

But, hang-on there, many people have been drinking "Toowoomba's poo" for a long time.

Toowoomba's treated sewerage is currently discharged into Gowrie Creek which empties into Oakey Creek which empties into the Condamine River.

The town of Dalby draws its water from the Condamine.

It's also interesting to ponder that some of the treated sewerage from Canberra will probably find its way to Wagga Wagga, Griffith, Hay, Balranald and, eventually, Adelaide.

In fact, cities throughout the world discharge treated and untreated sewerage to rivers and streams that supply downstream users with drinking water.

In the referendum at the end of the month, I would definitely vote yes.

There's no point in being precious when it comes to securing a water supply.

City councils should be able to use different options including the reuse of sewerage.

In fact, I would feel less guilty drinking my third cup of tea in the morning, if it was officially recycled water.

I could perhaps claim I was doing my bit for the environment -- sipping the recycled sewerage.

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