Fed: More wastewater should be used, Democrats

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Fed: More wastewater should be used, Democrats

CANBERRA, Dec 27 AAP - More wastewater should be recycled to be used in city parks,gardens and agricultural areas, the Australian Democrats said today.

Democrats Energy and Resources spokeswoman Senator Lyn Allison said reusing sewageeffluent would help alleviate drought conditions and pressure on rivers.

"It is ludicrous that only 14 per cent of sewage effluent from treatment plants iscurrently reused," Senator Allison said in a statement.

"Australia has the need, the technology and the skills to treat this effluent to alevel that is safe for reuse but governments generally lack the vision or the commitmentto seriously tackle this waste," she said.

Senator Allison said Australia lost about 1325 gigalitres of wastewater to ocean outfallsannually with the CSIRO predicting an increase to 1803 gigalitres by 2020.

She said the government should mandate more re-use targets and programs to be adoptedAustralia-wide for fitting homes.

"Urban areas produce wastewater from toilets, showers, kitchens, laundry and industrialapplications," she said.

"Whilst treatment has improved in recent years and outfalls have been extended intodeep water, effluent is still degrading marine water quality with nutrients, pathogens,ammonia, oils, chemicals, heavy metals and other pollutants."

AAP jwm/nw/sb

KEYWORD: WASTEWATER