Violent Entropy, Your must not know many property developers.They insist on maximum return on investment and don't give a toss about rainwater tanks or any of the other water supply options, unless driven to it by regulation.. That's what governments are meant to do on are behalf.

If you think free market forces can deliver safe, secure sustainable water supplies, please let us know of examples. Have you invested in a rainwater tank in yourself, I bet not. Any way glad to see you didn't encourage Alan B to continue on his MSR distraction.!

Bren you raise an interesting point. BUT, why do we need storage reservoirs. The purified recycled water seems to use the same process/technology to produce the same high quality water as the desalination plant and it requires no extra storage. It just pumps the water straight into the system via a pipeline that you can see on the southern side of Sydney Airport. In addition, if you wanted to locate distributed purified recycled water plants close to existing sewerage treatment plants in western Sydney, you could do the same or utilise the existing reservoirs like the one at Prospect. Job done at no extra cost.

Given that purified recycled water uses less energy than desalinated water, you would reduce Co2 emissions and make all the Greenies happy! Win-Win all round as they say!.

We all start thinking about this planned drinking water made from recycled effluent/stormwater. Given that we appear to sell unplanned recycled water through Sydney Water, I wonder why our NSW bureaucrats are so dismissive of the concept?

Also is it really true that unplanned potable recycled water is acceptable, and is Essery's claim that it already occurs in Sydney and across Australia?, If so, what's all the fuss about, particularly if the Head of Sydney Water says its "a no brainer". Interesting podcast if a bit long

As we all paid a fortune to build Homebush, why aren’t they promoting it? Given that its been running for 2 decades with no complaints that I have heard about.

AJ- I know property developers very well, I invest as part of a Group that designs and builds small apartment blocks (max 6 stories) that are built using quality materials and 5 to 6 star Nabers ratings. The ROI is absolutely there, yes they do cost a bit more however our buyers appreciate the long term impacts eco friendly design delivers.

Your assumption that I have never invested in a rainwater tank is false. My last house had two 10K litre underground tanks that I used to flush the toilets, water the garden etc. As I had a large roof area I also installed a quite over the top solar array. So we were pretty set in regards to substantially lowering our water and energy bills. I do admit the time to break even on the investment of these things was quite long. From memory, the water tanks were about 5 years, the solar close to 12.

Free market forces are a key to delivering in the future, just because they have not in the past is a moot point. From a marketing and social perspective a Company would be insane to not lean towards a more efficient and sustainable stance. That is the direction the Group I am in have taken and we are reaping the benefits.

In regards to Thorium MSR's, is their anything they cannot solve/ do? Homer Simpson and Donuts immediately spring to mind?
Mmmm Donuts....

Violent Entropy,
One of the reasons that water leaks are not fixed until they become embarrassing is that leaving them alone saves money.
I have a friend who lives in town and there has been a slow sewerage leak under the foot way in front of his house for the last 25 years at least. When the pipe blocks from roots seeking nutrients through the crack then the Council engages a local contractor who bores away the obstruction; this occurs about every 7 years so the Council saves money because the cost of doing the job right would pay a contractor over the next 100 years or so.

I see no reason to drink recycled effluent in any coastal city, when there's inexhaustible seawater!
And no reason to use the far costlier reverse osmosis method when the four times cheaper, deionisation dialysis desalination option is available!

Which also produces four times the volume as up to 95% potable water!

Nutrient-rich effluent needs to be piped inland and used in under glass, intense agriculture, where the subsequent evaporate can be collected as pristine water suitable for very safe human consumption.

MSR thorium would allow the costly pumping requirement, to become very affordable. But not the current reactors in "our" subs! which burn a product as rare as platinum and around as expensive. Only scarlet fools would counsel the latter!
Alan B.

water recycling is probably more expensive for coastal cities than building new dams
Bren,
Dams are the solution just as the Bradfield scheme to flood Lake Eyre would be. The problem is that some morons who attended Uni for a few weeks think that animals are as stupid as they are & would drown when the water rises. Unlike an insipid half-baked Accie, an animal will crawl to higher ground when its butt gets wet.