Water restrictions to remain despite recycled supplies

ABC ONLINE - Last Update: Monday, January 29, 2007. 9:04am (AEDT)

The Queensland Government has warned water restrictions in the south-east of the state could be in place for another 10 years, even with the introduction of recycled supplies.

With the plebiscite on recycled drinking water scrapped and if current low rainfall trends continue, the Government will start pumping recycled water into the region's dams late next year.

The Opposition says the plebiscite was a farce and it is pleased it has been abandoned, as are many mayors.

Greg Hoffman from the Local Government Association says polls were showing 75 per cent of residents were planning to vote yes anyway.

"The plebiscite would have been redundant really," he said.

Even when the recycled water comes on line, Infrastructure Minister Anna Bligh warns that does not necessarily mean restrictions can be lifted.

"[There] could possibly be emergency circumstances for some five or six years after we start putting this water into the dam," she said.

Ms Bligh says without decent rain, it could take 10 years before the dams are back up to 40 per cent capacity.

Treatment process 'rigorous'

Meanwhile, Premier Peter Beattie has warned against any "scare-mongering" over recycled water, insisting it is safe to drink.

Mr Beattie says recycled water poses no health risks and is consumed in cities like London and Washington.

Ms Bligh says the treatment process is rigorous.

"The technology that will be used to treat this water is a combination of what's called microfiltration and ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis," she said.

"The water will go through six or seven steps of treatment before it goes into the dam and then, like all the other water in the dam, will go through further treatment before it comes through our taps."

Also, the State Opposition is predicting the race to introduce recycled water before drinking supplies run out will go down to the wire.

Liberal leader Bruce Flegg says it is a precarious situation.

"We have here a race that's coming down the line as a photo finish as to whether we run out of water or get some piece of infrastructure finished on time," he said.

But Ms Bligh says construction is moving as quickly as possible.

Food exports

Farmers have rejected suggestions that using recycled water could harm south-east Queensland's food export industry.

Developer and former Toowoomba mayor Clive Berghofer says Japanese buyers will not import product that has been washed in recycled water.

Mark Panitz, from the peak horticulture group Growcom, has dismissed the argument and says the claims are not helpful.

"Some particular buyers may be sensitive, but that's why food safety systems are in place, so we can guarantee our consumers and our buyers - wherever they are around the world - that our product is really pure and very safe," he said.