The News Review:

- Majority would drink recycled sewage
- Water Supply to Macao and Zhuhai Doubles
- Extended rains cause crop losses

Majority would drink recycled sewage
The Australian – Dec 26, 2006
article-tools –> Selina Mitchell | December 26, 2006. module-subheader –> AN overwhelming majority of Australians would be prepared to drink recycled sewage to help ease a national crisis in urban water supplies that has forced escalating restrictions on water use. A Newspoll conducted exclusively for The Australian shows almost seven out of 10 people favour water from sewage treatment plants being supplied to homes for all household uses, including drinking, provided it is treated to the same quality as existing water supplies. Most of the remainder say they would be prepared to use recycled sewage for non-drinking purposes, such as flushing toilets and watering gardens. The survey comes ahead of Queensland Premier Peter Beattie’s March 17 referendum for southeast Queensland on using recycled water to top up falling dam levels. Southeast Queensland’s dams are down to 24…
They were last full in January 2000. If the summer rains fail again, the rapidly growing region will have less than two years’ supply left. With the major capital cities suffering depleted water supplies as the worst drought in a century continues, the Newspoll shows almost universal support for some use of treated effluent. In the past week there has been promising rainfall of up to 20mm across parts of Victoria and NSW, although well short of the drought-breaking falls needed. Of the 1200 people who were surveyed for the poll, conducted on December 15-17, only 2 per cent opposed any use of recycled effluent. Sixty-nine per cent of respondents said they would be prepared to accept supply of treated effluent for all household use, including drinking, provided the water was treated to the same quality as current supplies. And 29 per cent were prepared to accept such supplies for non-drinking uses.

Water Supply to Macao and Zhuhai Doubles
china.org.cn – Dec 26, 2006
Designed to supply fresh water to the region during salt tides, the project can supply one million cubic meters of freshwater to Zhuhai and Macao every day, according to Huo Rongyin, vice mayor of Zhuhai. About 60 percent of the water supply goes to Zhuhai and the other 40 percent flows into Macao, said Huo, adding that the current daily water consumption of the two regions is around 900,000 cubic meters. The 392 million yuan (about US$ 50 million) project, designed to combat salt tides that have threatened fresh water supplies in the Pearl River Delta in south China, began in January this year. An existing water pump station on Modaomen waterway, the major source of freshwater in the region, was expanded, a 21. 2 km-long water pipeline installed and a new reservoir built to store water. Both Zhuhai and Macao, its close neighbor, experience salt tides in winter and spring when water reserves decrease and seawater flows in.

Extended rains cause crop losses
Reuters AlertNet – Dec 26, 2006
Inadequate water supplies, sanitary facilities and dirty runoff water could increase the spread of cholera in northern Uganda’s Kitgum and Pader districts, where cases have already been reported. World Food Programme (WFP) will provide food assistance to 500,000 people in Karamoja beginning in January 2007. A follow up assessment in areas not covered by the November Karamoja assessment will enhance food security partner’s knowledge of conditions in the region, where over 40 percent of the population is at least moderately food insecure. In general, maize supplies are stable, but prices remain very high for this time of year…
A few attacks by armed criminal gangs and Karimojong warriors are also reported. Humanitarian conditions remain poor as many people are unable to access basic services and food. Incidence of cholera, mainly due to low water supplies and poor sanitation, was reported in Kitgum and Pader districts. Humanitarian organizations and district officials are actively working to control the spread. However, the risk of spread is high due to ongoing rains and dirty running water that may mix with usable water sources. The improvements in civil security conditions continue to allow the movement of populations’ and enhance access to productive resources. IDPs’ access to farms to harvest crops has improved and they can also seek off farm income opportunities in urban locations.