I am happy to post Meredith’s views here since the person most likely to sue myself for libel in this case is myself.
Its clear that Meredith is opposed to indirect potable water recycling...and I don’t think she likes me very much either! She is, of course, entitled to express both views.
But for the record, I reject the suggestion that I have "vested financial interests in the recycled sewage scheme". Nor have I "been highly paid by the Government to provide data that support their views on recycled sewage". I consider myself to be an independent and ethical researcher with high standards for scientific integrity, openness and transparency.
Meredith's Message...
Khan, (Chief sewer sipper and propaganda minister.) Something stinks in Queensland and it's not just the sewerage. Government and corporate greed is driving the water crises. The Government is hooked on using waste to raise revenue and is just using the public drinking water supplies as cash cows (and a cheap means of disposal), failing for decades to invest in new water infrastructure and failing to maintain existing infrastructure. Government greed counts more to making profit from the sale and production of recycled sewage than the safety and health of the consuming public. The assets of the people are being exploited by the Government. Health concerns are not a priority of this greedy Government, profiteering is. After the name change and marketing was put in place the next step in the sewerage shenanigans was to hire industry friendly scientists. The Government hired their own 'independant experts'to defend and promote their recycled sewage product who were bought in various ways to manipulate and shape science. The Government set out to build a body of science around the notion that hazardous highly toxic, industrial and hospital diseased wastes are rendered harmless by simply passing the material through a sieve. The public is too smart too believe that nonsense. The Government and their propaganda hit men have used every opportunity to discredit emminent scientists and dismiss information associated with consuming recycled sewage. Because it is clear and odorless recycled sewage is being fraudently marketed as a safe user friendly product without revealing that it is full of highly toxic chemicals and diseases. The Government routinely runs massive multi million dollar advertising campaigns, complete with graphic images to warn smokers of the dangers, yet strangely enough the public has not received any warnings or informtion on the same, (plus many more) cancer causing agents being discharged to the sewerage system--our new drinking source. What was once viewed as a nuisance and a liability is now being recast as a valuable resource. The Government has decided on recycled sewage as they just love a good project that will splash lots of tax-payer money around. The arrogant, lying, self serving, contemptuous Bligh Government and their science-for-hire know-it-alls as well as their spin doctor friends in the media have insisted that recycled sewage is 'safe'to drink and is not a threat to human health, with no supporting evidence to back their absurd claims they have continually given the public their assurances in regards to it's so called 'safety'. We were once told that asbestos was safe, too, with no threat to human health. Australia now has the highest rate of mesothelioma in the world. The Government also once recognised that working with recycled sewage was an occupational health hazard, then approved it's use for drinking purposes. If they all believed in the so called 'safety'of their recycled sewage product so much why did the Bligh Government find it necessary to introduce a new law that absolves themslves as well as the water service providers and operators in the event of any health problems arising from consuming recycled sewage? They cannot be sued, do not have to pay compensation and therefore are not accountable to the people. The onus is on the public. This is just another demonstration of utter contempt that this greedy, self serving Government has for the people they are being paid well to represent. The claims that recycled sewage is done all over the world is absolute rubbish. The announcement of the introduction of the Governments bizzare recycled sewage experiment made major world news headlines, a good indication no other country in the world deliberately adds recycled sewage to their drinking water supplies, One of the many lawyer firms representing the Government has said that recycled sewage is a new product and that the effects on humans and the environment of it's long term use is not fully known. The act further recognises the need to offer some form of protection from the potentially huge liability that water industry players could be subjected to through the use of recycled sewage. Does'nt sound too safe, now does it Khan? If it was so safe there would not be the need to introduce a new law that protects the Government, water service providers and operators from law suits. The Government and the cash strapped water researchers as well as their spin doctor friends in the the media have gone to great lengths to promote recycled sewage and to conceal information on the tens of thousands of highly toxic chemicals which are being allowed to be routinely dumped into the sewerage. No information on the drug resistant diseases or the health risks or consequences of drinking from a highly contaminated source. Since recycled sewage is an extremely high risk area the public is entitled to all relevant information that has the potential to cause serious illness and death. The Government has no right to withhold that vital information. The Government has ignored public health concerns while the so called 'yuck factor' has been exploited for all it's worth. We all know the (shonky) polls have been designed to elicit answers favourable to the governments cause. It is a well known fact that the vast majority of the public is strongly opposed to being poisoned. Get off your soap box Khan and stop grandstanding. You have no doubt been highly paid by the Government to provide data that support their views on recycled sewage. I am considering becoming a researcher too. All I need to do is plagiarise and falsify data, just like you Khan. You can stop the pretence now. I think most people would be well aware that you and Paul Greenfield to name a few have vested financial interests in the recycled sewage scheme. By the way Khan, for your information Bligh did in fact say that the public will be drinking 100 percent recycled sewage. That information was contained in reports tabled in parliament. The media news sources as we all know, especially the trashy tabloid, the Courier mail work only in the best interests of the Government and are being handsomely paid to support the Governments views on recycled sewage. They will not publish anything negative they view as having the potential to de-rail the Governments bizzare recycled sewage scheme. Since everyone is entitled to an opinion , I would appreciate my comments being posted on your website.
Meredith Jayne.
15 comments:
Hello Meredith
I understand your outrage. Who wants to drink water derived from sewage? Since I am writting from Canada, I am not well informed on what triggered this outrage. I know for a fact that Australia is having, in some provinces, water shortage due to climate change. To supply the population with water any Government will look at the cheapest alternative and sewage is an abundant resource. However, I am not sure, as you express in you letter, that the transformation of sewage to water will not be without risk. There are numerous ways of treating sludge waste water. If the Government will be using the same system employed in space missions well, this could be promissing. If they will be using a filtration system like rapid sand filter or diatemacious earth followed by UV light treatment or chlorine, bromine etc. and lab testing, that will be safe. If the waste water contain chemicals that are not affected by the above mentioned treatment, I would be concerned. If the extraction of water is from more solid waste that can be composted, there are still chemicals that could be present. At the moment, there are a lot of research being done around the world on bacteria that feed on chemicals. These have the ability to digest toxic elements and render them inoffensive. If this is what your government is proposing, this could be safe to. Using ocean water could be another alternative for water shortage, but the cost will be to much for the average earners. All in all, there are no easy solution. We in Canada have a lot of water, but we have manage to pollute most of it so we are basically looking at similar alternative. Sorry I could not aleviate your outrage Meredith. On this issue you need to have a coalition group that will force the Government to clearly state what the process of sewage recycling is all about and to have a voice in the government. This coalition could force the Government through legal means to comply with Water Safety Act existing in Auatralia.
Best of luck in your endevors.
Whew...What a rant!. I got exhausted just reading it.
Once again though empty words from ignorant people who do not understand the proposal or the technologies to be used.
Enjoyed reading the letter, and believe that recycled water should not be forced on people to drink - rather used for industry - once its in the dams many people will be afraid to drink tap water - and that shouldn't happen esp when fresh water gets used for so many non drinking purposes.
Meredeth - your letter touched on many issues. I'll reply to just two.
1. Water supply - When water supply was at just 17 % in an unprecedented drought, there wasn't enough time to hope for rain, action had to be taken. Consecutive governments of varying parties may have collectively acted late with water infrastructure, but the Beattie government acted according to the requirements of the situation that faced them at that time, and now have a world's best practice water network in place.
2. Water quality - I advise you to read the Interim Water Quality Report that outlines the performance of the Bundamba Advanced Water Treatment Plant to date. This water has been proven to be cleaner than the water presently in Wivenhoe Dam. http://www.qwc.qld.gov.au/Interim+water+quality+report
3. Liberal or Labor - purified recycled water is a safe solution to our water scarcity
The decision to turn sewage, hospital and industrial waste water into drinking water was, in my opinion, a hard sell for the government even when SEQ was facing an "Armageddon situation" so I imagine now that the rain is falling, and the dams are filling up, it would be almost impossible to convince people to drink recycled waste water. In my opinion purified recycled water, should only be used for "non food" industries, freeing up the rain water in the dams for drinking water.
I agree that it is a time consuming process to educate people, and it will take years. PRW is a new concept for Australia, so I understand your concerns.
But do you really think your dams are so clean? Think of the thousands of unsewered cattle in the Wivenhoe catchment. Think of the 13 piggeries in South East Queensland.
A water treatment plant is nothing compared to an advanced water treatment plant that produces PRW.
PRW undergoes incredibly rigorous processes.
PRW is proven to be cleaner than dam water.
Overseas, PRW is used instead of dam water in microchip production, because the filtration processes remove impurities that are found in dam water.
PRW produced in Australia is so pure it needs minerals added, because these are also removed in the cleaning process.
Ongoing community education will improve people's understanding, and this will take time.
'Meredith Jayne' - set up your own blog, provide your own contact details and outline your own qualifications and experience on the topic. Bear in mind that there is a difference between having an opinion, publishing an opinion, and defamation.
Amazing! What an amusing diatribe ignorance and a thesaurus can produce! Anyone who gets some of their water from a river or lake with a town upstream (which includes most Australians) are already drinking some proportion of “recycled” water. The difference being that we do not bother with reverse osmosis on that water (or as Chicken Little put it pass it through a “sieve”). If reverse osmosis (and I am definitely not a fan of it because of the rather large energy requirements) is like using a sieve, then the filtration used in most drinking water treatment would be like a sieving through a “soccer” net.
Meredith, I support your concerns. Big business always pushes through projects because of money rather than pure common sense. The 'common sense' of dollars is often more important than that of one's health because that's where 'the priorities' lie.
There are concerns that are just brushed off or utterly ignored, not even noticed when 'they' see the almighty dollar signs.
One example is methyl mercury. Can it go through the membrane? You would never expect them to demonstrate the efficacy of the RO membrane perhaps because it just may be too substandard to meet the many ionic challenges. Methyl mercury is a little more sinister, because it can bio-accumulate, so even if the water 'meets WHO standards' if it is persistently there, even a Thorley would not be able to withstand its effects when bio-accumulation finally shows symptoms.
I believe that with these gung-ho trends worldwide, the market for alternatives has sprung open. One of the most promising is that of solar distillation, a poorer cousin policy that may actually rule in future generations because of its zero carbon attributes. It would win the 'war' eventually even if it loses the 'battle' for now.
Daqtaoge
Several months ago, I posted commemts on Stuart Khans website expressing my concerns and outrage at the Governments forced introduction of recycled sewage (and fluoride) into the public drinking water supplies. My response to the critics commemts has been a bit delayed due to suffering ongoing (Physical) health problems, legacy of the Government/chemical waste industry, more on that later, I am in the process of setting up my own website, Toxic legacy, which will be up and running soon and will provide factual information, not Government propaganda. Many thanks to those who wrote in support of my concerns. Very much appreciated, To those who can only critisize in defense of the so called 'technology' used to recycle sewage, without providing any supporting data to back the 'wild' safety claims, your ignorance is astounding, Ignorance breeds stupidity, only knowledge breeds understanding. Dressing up a belief in jargon, doesn't make a science. It's clearly obvious that these people haven't the ability to ferret out the truth. Try finding something constructive to do with your idle time. Educating yourselves on the high human health risks and consequences of drinking recycled sewage as well as the Governments real motives behind its introduction may be a good start.
Although is is clearly obvious that there are still some gullible people in the community who will continue to ' swallow' the Governments efforts to 'catapult' the recyled sewage propaganda, there is however an increasing number of intelligent people who have come to see through it. Like the boy who cried wolf, the Australian public authority is enduring a largely self inflicted crises of credibility.
True to form the Australian government has proposed solutions that is a mixture-- Destructive and cheap. Recycled sewage is based on fraudulent science and political power grabs that has nothing to do with protecting public health.
P.R firms were hired to 'tap dance' the highly questionable idea past the people. The 'solution ' had already been decided, the Government simply needed the idea sold to the uninformed public. The recycled sewage product was 'sold' to the public with massive and expensive P.R efforts that conspired to lie and deceive and wear down resistance until the public yielded. The P.R campaigns which involved stupid, pointless 'recycled sewage' taste testing demonstrations were likened to a beer sales convention. The recycled sewage product didn't gain public acceptance but the arrogant, contemptuous Government bulldozed ahead with their plans to dump the toxic diseased waste into the public drinking water supplies in great haste, regardless. 'To defend their recycled sewage product the Government manufactured their own 'independant experts' who have developed a 'science' to aid and abet the profiteering Government, while P.R firms and the obliging media were hired to spread the propaganda. The Government thinks the population is easier to control through propaganda and media manipulation. It's time that these sleazy practices engineered by the Government and their highly paid corporations were held up to public scrutiny
The Government has been actively negotiating and signing international trade and investment agreements which include trade in water. We are being sold out to the big multi-national corporations. Recycling sewage into drinking water is taking place at all levels of Government in every state regardless of the plentiful water supplies. It is a global Government agreement. High financial stakes have colluded to close honest discussion on recycled sewage. It's not good enough to give people a choice between a poorly run Government system and a private sector that's both run for profit. Water is a basic human need and right, not a commodity to be delivered on a for-profit basis.
More to follow
Meredith Jayne.
The person who posted a comment on Stuarts website claiming that Peter Beattie acted according to the requirements of the situation (and further stated that when the water supply was at just 17% there wasn't enough time for action to be taken.) obviously has a 'screw loose'
The Beattie 'Government' created the 'water crises' Unless you have been living under a rock, most people would be aware of that by now, Beattie had over ten years to take action, to provide the public with the basic necessity of life, but did absolutely nothing to secure drinking water supplies, instead The self serving low life prioritised the legalisation of prostitution (and lying to parliament) gave Queensland brothels and a run down health system, built numerous State of the art fooball stadiums, footbridges and many other useless building projects, but no water infrastructure. Great legacy, Beattie and Bligh.
When critisized for squandering the money and not investing it instead into the construction of new dams. Beattie arrogantly declared that the football stadiums were tax-payer money well spent.
Beattie idolises himself, and would do anything for a photo shoot opportunity to get some attention.. the media tart would open a phone box if there was only one bystander and a camera crew there, but when he was confronted with a crises he scurried off like a cockroach.
Meredith Jayne
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The person who critisized me for labeling reverse osmosis as a 'sieve' is obviously too stupid to comprehend that I was ridiculing the Governments world first recycled sewage experiment on the public. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence would have realised that. Toxic chemical diseased hospital and industrial waste can not be destroyed, fool, it can only be recycled.
Meredith Jayne
During the years that the political rodent Peter Beattie was Premier of Queensland and his clone Anna Bligh was infrastructure minister, they were handed many reports which contained urgent reccommendations to build new dams, along with warnings of dire consequences if new dams were not built by 2000. Beattie and Bligh ignored the reports..
In 1995 the biosolids program was launched in America and aimed to have recycled sewage publicly acceptable, worldwide by the year 2000. The Beattie ' Government ' has been rigorously pushing for the introduction of recycled sewage into the public drinking water supplies since 1996, They deliberately delayed the building of new dams, ignoring the 2000 deadline.
To accelerate the introduction of recycled sewage, The Beattie Government deliberately allowed Queensland to run out of water, they actively encouraged water use, continuing to allow industry, --power stations, mining companies, oil refineries to name a few, to squander public drinking water supplies without restrictions, continued to allow the development of housing estates and Hi-rises on a massive scale, continued to allow the construction and filling of swimming pools, all using fresh drinking water supplies and as our drinking water supplies were quickly being depleted the Beattie Government ran massive, multi -million dollar, tax-payer funded advertising campaigns to lure people to Queensland without the infrastructure in place to support the population growth. Beattie then declared a ' water crises ' In allowing our water supplies to be squandered, the Governments objective was to create a sense of desperation in the public, to make it easier for them to force the introduction of recycled sewage..
With the help of their ever obliging, handsomely paid, spindoctor friends in the media, Beattie and Bligh ran a scaremongering campaign, issuing ranting statements, of armeggaddon and "The public will either drink recycled sewage or die" to deliberately instill fear in the public. Beattie and Bligh then declared that they wouldn't personally drink recycled sewage and admitted that it was an experiment.
To deliberately allow Queensland to run out of water to enable the Government to enfore recycled sewage defies belief. Beattie and Bligh should be charged with criminal neglect amongst other things. We need to rid ourselves of this useless, lying, deceitful, contemptuous, arrogant, self serving Government whose only interest is to make themselves wealthier with shady business deals. It's clearly obvious that human health issues aren't a priority of this greedy Government, profiteering is.
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Meredith Jayne
Health fears over dirty home water
Katrina Jones | December 5th, 2009
RESIDENTS in more than 630 homes at Coomera have been told not to drink tap water after recycled water was mistakenly piped to them.
The Gold Coast City Council has issued notices to the homeowners after a resident reported a 'funny taste' in the drinking water.
A council spokeswoman last night confirmed 'diluted recycled water' had found its way into drinking water supplies.
The homes are supposed to be receiving recycled water and drinking water in separate pipes following the opening of the $80 million Pimpama Wastewater Treatment Plant on Tuesday.
The plant supplies 'Class A-plus recycled water' which can be used for car washing, gardening, flushing toilets and external household cleaning.
However, the council says it is not suitable for drinking, cooking or cleaning, personal washing, clothes washing, swimming pools or spas, or pets and livestock.
When officers went to investigate the complaint, they did a conductivity test, which indicates the difference between drinking water and recycled water," she said.
It was not known how long the contamination had gone undetected
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Drink E Coli Posted At 7:43pm today
How many people have to get sick and how many stuff ups have to occur - before - the never ending push to add recycled water is rejected - not just by the majority of people - but by the majority of our leaders too? How can anyone believe this is safe?
Einstein holidaying in Coomera Posted At 7:30pm today
The clowns at Gold Coast Water and Gold Coast Council conducted a "conductivity analyis" on the local water supplies. How reassuring. Not.Where was the sample taken? How long ago? By who? How many samples were taken? Firstly, a conductivity analysis measures TDS (Total Dissolved Salts), and will not measure any biological data relating to the presence of microorganisams. Secondly, although the recylcled water may be diluted, any bilogical matter may multiply exponentially to dangerous levels!
Bella Posted At 7:27pm today
This is disgraceful. As a resident of Coomera, I remember being told the two systems would be 'completely separate'. If this is the case then how can contamination even occur? They are obviously not completely separate! I went to Woolworths in Upper Coomera today and they were almost completely sold out of bottled water. The Water Authority should investigate this ineptitude, not the Gold Coast City Council, in whose best interest it is to say 'low risk'.
coomera resident Posted At 6:10pm today
I agree E Coli- our water was cut off on Friday without notice and only informed at 6pm to take precautions & boil our water- Why work outside our homes all day & not bother to tell us to stop drinking it? It maybe a coincidence but I woke up Wednesday feeling unwell & have been drinking more water than usual to help flush my system! We are also concerned about the effects this may have on our baby. How did this happen? This is a disgrace.
Ecoli Posted At 5:53pm today
They have knowingly supplied the customers at Coomera with water that was unsafe for human consumption, yet they try and say its know safe but yet we still have to boil the water? If it was safe why bother? Will they send us a letter saying how it happened, what was in the water we were drinking for those 3 days? Will we be compensated for having to boil? What actions will they take to give Coomera residents confidence in their supply in future, bottled water here we come
Coli Posted At 9:22am today
We have been told that the water has been diluted with recycled water. They knew this in the morning yet continued to allow us to drink it all day. Recycled water is not safe to drink, yet they did nothing and let children and old people drink it whilst they tried to run for cover. Inept, weak managers pointing the finger of blame wherever they can. Its a disgrace that this happened despite all the assurances. The state needs to investigate.
The Government is NOT contented enough to reap massive benefits from us being forced to drink recycled sewage and industrial waste-water (sold off to the French company Veolia) - now they are going to make us PAY for our OWN rainwater if they can get away with it! (selling it off to the Japanese).
Rainwater is now a "commodity" to be brought and sold. It is NOT FREE to those who collect it. Just like the rainwater that falls into farmers' dams is NOT FREE.
JAPANESE EYE QLD WATER
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Bill Hoffman 28th November 2009
QUEENSLAND Water Commission is in negotiations with Japanese water interests about a scheme that could allow private companies to own and sell the rain that falls on our roofs.
The water commission is remaining tight-lipped about the detail of its discussions
Its chief executive, Dan Spiller, has confirmed the contact but told the Daily yesterday that it was a “research proposal in very preliminary stages, with a number of options being considered”.
If it were feasible and was to proceed, there would be a range of commercial arrangements that would need to be negotiated and a range of regulatory approvals to be obtained,” he said.
“The contracts would need to be negotiated between third parties.
“It is standard business practice for discussions at such a preliminary stage to be confidential between the parties.
Supporters of a rainwater harvesting project for the Coolum Ridges residential subdivision say the Traveston dam’s loss has not eased pressure from the government or its bureaucracy to treat water as a tradable commodity that helps raise revenue.
There are fears it would lead to foreign interests being given the right to fit decentralised water harvesting technology as a component of new subdivisions, in return for the right to charge for the water.
Sunshine Coast council major projects head Debbie Blumel said the community wanted and was calling for water to be viewed as a precious resource. However, she said the bureaucracy was continuing to pursue water as a commodity that could be bought and sold.
“The Coolum Ridges approach is to treat water as a valuable resource that is respected as fundamental to life, rather than something from which to make a profit,” Ms Blumel said.
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