The News Review:

- Peter Beattie: Supply crisis demands action
- Quality of New Zealand’s Drinking-Water
- Going into deep water

Peter Beattie: Supply crisis demands action
The Australian – Jan 30, 2007
7 billion earmarked for the Western Corridor Recycled Water Pipeline that will deliver purified recycled water to the Swanbank and Tarong power stations, other industrial users and the Wivenhoe Dam. The western corridor pipeline is a project of national significance. It is Australia’s largest water-recycling project, the third largest advanced treatment recycled water project in the world and the fourth largest recycled water scheme in the world. This project is enormous. We will be constructing three major advanced wastewater treatment plants and laying more than 200km of pipe. Queensland is providing national leadership on the water issue. We are doing the heavy lifting by consulting the community, being honest and upfront with the facts and enlisting their understanding and support.

Quality of New Zealand’s Drinking-Water
Scoop.co.nz – Scoop.co.nz (press release) – Jan 30, 2007
Question and Answer FactSheetAnnual Review of Drinking-Water Quality 1. Howwas the information gathered to produce the annualreview?The information about the quality ofdrinking-water in New Zealand is obtained from publichealth units of District Health Boards using questionnaireson the performance of water suppliers. The survey gathersinformation on both distribution zones and water treatmentplants. In 2005, the Register of Community Drinking-WaterSupplies in New Zealand contained 2269 distribution zonesand 2208 water treatment plants. What is a registeredwater supplier?The Ministry of Health maintains aregister of all water suppliers that it is aware of thatserve 25 people or more for at least 60 days each year. Water suppliers fall into two groups: local authorities andprivate organisations or communities responsible for theoperation of their own drinking-water supplies.

Going into deep water
Manila Times – Jan 30, 2007
Have we taken government warnings for granted? Or water, for that matter? A water shortage is not to be taken lightly. The signs are already here. Parañaques declining water supply reflects a bigger problem in Metro Manila. Too many upscale villages are suffering from a water deficit. Poor water supply inhibits growth in Cebu, Baguio City, Davao, Iloilo, Bacolod, Angeles City, Zamboanga and Cagayan de Oro. These are signs that the country faces a larger problem if we do not use our water resources wisely. Its a regional problem, too…
Irrigation is responsible for more than 70 percent use of overall water use. Since drainage flows from agriculture are polluted by pesticides, less fresh water is available for drinking and industrial use. The uncontrolled and uncoordinated exploitation of water resources has had a major impact on the availability of clean water and has already jeopardized the supply for future generations, Reyes warned. He has proposed a multisectoral approach to water resource management, including those at the lowest level, to ensure synergy in tackling the problem. We seek plainer words from Reyes. We want him to tell the public and businesses to save water, fix poor plumbing, not to steal water, observe responsible development and treat water as a depletable resource. He knows what to tell private water suppliers and the concerned government offices.