Australians drinking sewage, page 1

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Topic started on 25-7-2006 @ 05:49 PM by Ghaele

Drought-stricken Australia considers drinking recycled sewage; www.breitbart.com...

If anyone from Australia read this then I will tell you there are other options then drinking sewage. It is possible to extract water out of the air. What is needed;

1. warm air. No problem in your land
2. metal plate
3. something that will keep the metal cold (as an refrigerators cooling system)
4. electricity for the cooling system

This will if put together just right produce clean water. If you need much water produced this way you might want to check places like this; www.wataireindustries.com...
2500 to 5000 litre per day should be enough for many people.

Anyone else with ideas people can try out themself?

reply posted on 25-7-2006 @ 06:03 PM by Willard856

The proposal is only for those areas that can't generate water from other means. And you aren't drinking sewage, you are drinking water produced from treated sewage, the actual final product is as clean as the normal stuff. Most people still gag when thinking about it though!

There are other ideas being floated around, such as desalination plants. However, recently there were some underground fresh water sources found near Sydney which has reduced the liklihood of a plant being built.

Actually, warm air is kind of absent in some areas. Goulburn, one of the most affected cities (it has run out of fresh water) regularly gets down to the low single figures in Celsius.

If I recall correctly, the average person uses about 250 - 400 litres a day of water, so 5000 litres really isn't going to do that much. The simple fact is we waste water at a phenomenal rate. Smarter ways are becoming more widely known. The following link takes you to a website that has a lot of interesting info and resources. Thanks for your interest in the Australian water situation (and I'm not paid by anyone to promote water conservation

)

Save Water

reply posted on 25-7-2006 @ 07:12 PM by Skadi_the_Evil_Elf

All water on this planet is recycled in some form. The water you drink more than likely has come from somethings kidneys during its lifespan. Waste water is either emptied into rivers or the ocean, where it is cleaned, then pumped back in to the water supply. Or, it eveporates, becomes water vapor, which eventually will become clouds, then rain.

Sewage pomped into drying pits also evaporates. And dont forget wtaer from plants. Plants like to feed on poo amongst other things.

reply posted on 25-7-2006 @ 11:15 PM by Nygdan

?

There are lots of places that recycle sewage to get drinking water, many municipalities do it.

reply posted on 26-7-2006 @ 09:39 AM by Ghaele

I'm still not convinced that drinking recycled sewage is healthy. They say that such water must be cooked first.

Of course scientists paid for by the sewage companies say its safe to drink, just as the military say its safe to breath depleted uranium dust. Don't be so gullible, please!

Back to the air-water collector, most people don't drink more than 1 to 3 litres per day so I think 5000 litres is alot. Enough for a block at least, if used only for drinking water. But suit yourself...

reply posted on 26-7-2006 @ 05:01 PM by Willard856

The amount of water I quoted includes drinking, showering, toilet, food preparation, and a swag of other water uses most people don't consider. Multiply this by millions of Australians living in drought affected regions, and 5000 litres is next to nothing. And you can't just use produced water for drinking if there are no other water sources available, such as in Goulburn. You need to consider everything. And as I said, warm air isn't everywhere in Australia, so you have that problem too.

Actually, the scientists saying it is safe were employed as independant consultants. They had nothing to do with the sewage companies. And it isn't the sewage companies that are trying to establish the program, it is the state government.

As for being gullible, I think you'll find I'm healthily sceptical in most things. And the Australian military doesn't say that breathing depleted uranium dust is safe. And who says that you have to boil the product first?

reply posted on 29-7-2006 @ 08:40 AM by tkmelb

theage.com.au

Towoomba residents say no to recycled waste water

Residents of drought-stricken Toowoomba have convincingly rejected the notion of drinking their own waste water.

In a controversial referendum today, the result of which was decided by 8pm (AEST), 61.62 per cent of residents opposed the treating of sewage for drinking water in the inland south-east Queensland city.

A total of 60,231 people were eligible to vote on the referendum.

The outcome was a resounding victory for the no campaign, which was headed by Rosemary Morley, coordinator of a group calling itself Citizens Against Drinking Sewage.

Ms Morley had insisted Toowoomba would not be a guinea pig for the rest of Australia in adopting the controversial plan.

Yes campaigners included Toowoomba Mayor Di Thorley, who had said recycling sewage for drinking water was the most economically and environmentally effective way to fix the city's critical water shortage.

Earlier today, Queensland Premier Peter Beattie said regardless of the referendum outcome, other parched south-east Queensland communities would likely have to vote on the same issue in the future.

"What happens in Toowoomba will have an influence on the time line for which south-east Queensland votes on this," Mr Beattie said.

The premier said if the vote was negative "then we will have to go out and explain the truth about recycling".

The federal parliamentary secretary for water Malcolm Turnbull said he respected the decision.

He said the use of recycled water for drinking purposes in the manner proposed is "sustainable and it is safe," he said in a statement.

"But, as I have said many times, it is not compulsory."

He said recycling water was important for Australia as demand was expected to exceed supply from existing water sources in nearly all major Australian cities within the next 20 years.

"As our states and territories address water shortage issues, a number of options including recycled water, stormwater, and desalination should be considered," Mr Turnbull said.

When will the politians get a back bone and realise we need more dams

TK

[Mod Edit: Link format - Jak]

[edit on 29/7/06 by JAK]

edit to include 'ex' tags

[edit on 29-7-2006 by masqua]

Sorry about the link, will be more careful next time.