Who Controls Your Drinking Water?
Australians to Drink Processed Sewage as Drought Continues
| Here are portions of an article appearing at edie.net |
by Goska Romanowicz
Australians are to follow in Britain's footsteps and start reprocessing sewage for drinking water, the premier of Queensland State announced to considerable public outcry.Although cleaning up sewage to be mixed in with drinking water is an accepted practice in countries like the UK, protests have so far held it back in Australia despite severe drought.
Following an announcement from Australian Prime Minister John Howard who called water shortages Australia's biggest challenge which he allocated 10bn Australian dollars to address, the premier of Queensland, Peter Beatie, has now said that water recycling was no longer an option but a necessity.
"We're not getting rain; we've got no choice. These are ugly decisions, but you either drink water or you die. There's no choice. It's liquid gold, it's a matter of life and death," Peter Beatie told ABC radio.
Australia's new water minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said that all options will have to be considered as the country struggles with its "worst drought ever".
The drought has left Australia's farmers hard-hit and has affected the wider global economy. The continuing lack of rain recently prompted authorities to create a new "water ministry."
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Also see: Ganges Water Too Polluted for 2007 Religious Gathering
Who Decides If Your Drinking Water is Safe?
Global Water Crisis Draws Near |
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