Hon Rod Welford MLA

Minister for Environment and Heritage and Minister for Natural Resources.

response letter

21 Oct 1998

..... While there has not been any authoritive measurement of Queensland's public opinion on potable water directly produced from treated sewage, it is likely that some concerns may exist,especially given Sydney's recent water problems. However, the public are more lilely to accept that treated wastewater discharges to a river or lake and then withdrawn as raw water for treatment to potable water standard, is not a problem. The discharge of effluent to rivers where it is re-used as raw water for treatment for potable supply or to oceans when it is used for recreation, is common practice.........

Officers from my Department of Environment and Hertiage, and my Department of Natural Resources, and the department of Health are watching the situation at Caloundra closely, and any approval at the State Government level will only be given following adequate studies being undertaken into the environmental and health implications of any proposal. Because of the many unknown factors in the area of health associated with direct potable reuse of treated wastewater, most informed people in the reuse field would recomment non-potable uses rather than potable uses of treated sewage efluent at this time. ......

signed

Rod Welford MLA

Minister for Environment and Heritage and Minister for Natural Resources.

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