Ed,

Many thanks for promoting “Recycled Water Roadmap” in last week’s Independent. The residents of Perth already use purified recycled water in their drinking water supply, and I commend our State government for developing the Recycled Water Roadmap RWR to make it easier for our states’ Council-owned and operated local water utilities to explore what’s involved in a making a transition to a RWR.

Today increasing numbers of children and grandchildren are asking this question. “What changes can we now make to ensure the future world we inherit will be more sustainable?”

As water is a vital, finite resource, you’d be a drip not to consider how to use water more sustainably, so what might you like to consider? 

Instead of continuing to use more single-use products, why not instead choose the very best way to use less water, namely by choosing to use many more reusable products?

Half the water used at home is used outside the home, so water straight from a rainwater tank is ideal water for your garden. Native plants require far less water than exotic plants, so if you want to use less water and like to see more birds in your garden, plant more native plants.

Rainwater is great for outside use, so why not suggest your council introduces incentives to encourage you to purchase a rainwater tank?

Local water recycling utilities are established to purify water to a potable standard and the best location of such water recycling utilities is a most important decision for your council to consider.

If your council is genuine in its desire to improve water quality, it will site the water recycling utility downstream of your town or city. But if your council decides to locate its water recycling utility upstream of your town it’s hard to believe it’s genuine in it’s concern to ensure you will be drinking the highest quality water.

The NSW government’s draft Recycled Water Roadmap is open for public consultation until Friday January 10 and submissions from the community are invited, so why not give it a go to show your council that you do want a more sustainable future for your children and grandchildren

To lodge a submission visit https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/our-work/plans-and-strategies/recycled-water-roadmap

Harry Johnson, Iluka