The Wire

A recent poll indicates that Sydneysiders are happier to accept recycled water than the NSW government has claimed. Of a Newspoll survey conducted by Clean Up Australia that interviewed 200 residents aged 18 and over, 71% indicated that they were prepared to use quality treated water in their homes. 67.4 % of those surveyed believed it would be acceptable to use treated water from sewerage plants to supplement future water needs. However, the results may also indicate some confusion on the part of those surveyed. Although over two thirds of respondents said they were happy to use treated and recycled water, more than half still said that they supported a desalination plant. This survey also largely contradicts an earlier study commissioned by the NSW government which found 68% of those surveyed were opposed to having recycled sewage water in the city’s drinking supply. In the latest survey nearly half of those polled agreed that treated sewage should be pumped into Warragamba, the city’s main dam. Some have claimed that the Carr government used this poll as justification for the construction of a desalination plant as an alternative to recycled water. Last week new Premier Morris Iemma committed to a review of Sydney’s water supply including current proposals for the desalination plant. Ian Cohen, Greens Member of the NSW parliament spoke with Sarah Greenlees.