The result highlights the power of fear and just how easy it is to negatively influence the outcome of a plebiscite. You see it in a whole range of issues from fluoride in water to immunization. Science is often displaced by uninformed hysteria.

Sorry but I think that the problem is the lack of overall planning and the failure to involve the community in the debate properly.

There is so much illinformed comment and it appears that dams and drinking treated sewage are the only possibilities put before the public. Go figure people don't trust politicians.

We have significantly curt our water useage by doing the following :
1. Having two 2 litre empty cordial bottles at the sink which we use when awaiting water to warm up for the sink. We then use a small amount of this water for rinsing and clean up then the rest goes on the garden

2. Install plastic flow restrictor valves available at hardware stores for around $7 per two cutting shower water useage by 79%. No need for new shower heads.

3. Shower one person after the other... saves waiting for water to run hot for the next shower ... saves at least 2 litres per person.

4. Installed a 3000 litre rainwater tank.

5. Use liquid soap which you spread all over your hands before turning onthe tap.

Finally if we are going to recycle water why not collect it off roadways and pump it to the top of the catchments for filtering and release. The infrastructure is already in place (pipes) and it catches rainwater from every suburb where it rains. Gee what sounds better recycled rainwater or recycled sewage?

I can't see why any of us shouldn't be washing our clothes, watering our gardens and going to the toilet using recycled water in any city or country location.This water should be made to be drinkable in case it is drunk accidently.People should not be forced to drink recycled water it should always remain an option.Tanks can be useful for some of the water problem and all dwellings should have them fitted.Every time it rains valuable water washes out to sea that could be used in a more sustainable way for the needs of this country.Politicians need to see value in water beyond profit and treat the citizens of this country with more dignity.

Toowoomba plebiscite is a next Australian example of elementary technical illiteracy and playing “democracy”.

What alternative have Toowoombanises got? Sponsored re-settlement somewhere in a close proximity to Sydney Opera House?

Since ages, Hamburg uses recycled water. Maybe, it is because not Astralian/UK-graduated professionals had designed, built and maintained a system.

Australia has plenty of water.
The general public are being conned into believing that there is a shortage of water,and I mean fresh water.
The con is being promoted by none other than Coca Cola, the largest producers of fresh drinking water in the world.
In Australia,Coca Cola now earn more income from water supply than their brand of Soft Drink,Coca Cola.
So why are Australia Pollys following Coca Cola management like sheep, with the story that water will become more and more expensive.
Ignorance and half lies are the order of the day in Parliments across Australia.
The South Australian Water Corporation is a classic case of a hippocitical government authority that is charging pensioners in some cases more than Coca Cola for their water supply.
The case is of a pensoner who thought unwisely to put in a water tank to collect rain water.He then, turned off the mains water supply and then refused to make anymore payments to SAWater. The result was a quick move to the local court to sue the pensioner for lost revenue.This involved Court costs,Legal Costs and for people in the South East of South Australia, ( which has such a high rainfall that the federal government is giving investors a 100% tax break for planting Blue Gums.)
The River Murray LEVY, which incidentally was designed to get people outside Adelaide to fund the water supply to Adelaide.
To make matters worse why do Water Authorities have such influence over our polititans.The answer is greed. The hope that one day the Polly or his children will be involved is some criminal insider trading of water as is the case with Politically active farmers who in some states are selling their Water licences.
Australia with such a small population could afford to connect most towns with a free water supply if they were to give people a $2000 grant to install a large water tank and recycle unit in their home.
It makes more sense than converting their car to LPG,but thats another issue.

After a few complaints from my family I have had to change the disks from the 79% savings (4 star) to the around 59% savings (3 star) as it made adjusting the water temperature too difficult at 79% restricted flow. OOps I was a little too zealous in my water saving methods. Please don't make the same mistake as I did.

Now back to the roads as collectors... If we gradually included all roads in the southeast Qld as collectors we would have ample water and at far less cost than building dams.

In the last rain 4 weeks ago we got about 1000 litres in our tank. This is ample to water our gardens all winter as we planted endemic native species that not only don't need watering once established but also feed native birds and animals.

Also we haven't had to fill our pool for over 2 years... I put a hose from my spouting to help deliver more water to my pool. FREE water... Yay.

Think of the benefits of native plants... no watering, great wildlife and bird attracting and and no bucket carrying. If you call yourself an Aussie buy tube stocks from a place like the old Bunya Park and you will have a beautiful thriving native garden in a matter of months.

Try being a real Aussie and supporting our local species flora and fauna... Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi