Mayor Thorley puts water recycling in perspective

As the count down continues to Toowoomba’s water poll, Mayor Dianne Thorley today stood at the peak of our city and put the water recycling project in perspective.

“Just look where we are,” Cr Thorley said. “We are on the summit of the Great Dividing Range, with no natural water source to sustain our city.

“Our situation is unique, so it is not surprising that our water options be catered to our distinctive needs.”

Cr Thorley said there were only three questions people should be asking themselves as they walk in to cast their vote on Saturday: is it safe? Is it reliable? Is it affordable?

“The water is safe,” Cr Thorley said. “It will be of a better quality than the water we drink now. And if Water Futures was in in 2001, our dams would be at almost 60% not 20%.”

Cr Thorley also reiterated that Water Futures would cost only an additional $40 a year onto people’s rates, whereas other options were anywhere from $245 to $580 extra. Standing under the sign post pointing to locations around Australia and overseas, Cr Thorley told journalists that water recycling is happening everywhere.

“Berlin is on the river Spree, there is unplanned reuse all over Germany,” she said. “Premier Beattie released a statement today saying recycled water could be going back into Wivenhoe Dam as early as 2008.

“Sydney are thinking about it, they’ve ruled out desal’ for the time being.

“Dublin’s on the Liffey River and is downstream from dozens of communities.

“Singapore uses the same process we want to introduce here,” Cr Thorley said.

“I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: water recycling happens all over the world, but we can have the most sophisticated advance water treatment plant in the world if we get this thing built now.”