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  Today 8 Feb 07
Aussies develop a taste for Newater
Ng Hun Wei hunwein@mediacorp.com.sg

AUSTRALIAN cities in the grip of the country's worst recorded drought are keen to draw on a Singaporean well-spring — potable recycled sewage water.

The Public Utilities Board (PUB) has received numerous requests from the Australian media for samples of its Newater, ever since Prime Minister John Howard called for sewage water recycling to meet the nation s water crisis.

And already, Newater seems to have passed its first hurdle with the Australian public. South Australia s Sunday Mail conducted a taste test on 56 respondents and published the results over the weekend.

Although some described the thought of drinking recycled sewage water as "off-putting" and "scary", a third picked Newater as the best tasting in blind tests — ahead of rainwater and bottled water samples.

"I thought it would have tasted icky but if it tastes anything like the sample, it would be all right," said one respondent.

An article published Tuesday in The Canberra Times, on the other hand, described the taste as "unnaturally lifeless". But it was "as far from tasting like sewage as it is possible to be", the author said.

Queensland's premier Peter Beattie announced last month that the state would follow Singapore s example in drinking recycled drinking water.

The PUB has distributed eight million bottles of Newater for public sampling since 2003.

Australian officials also have expressed interest in tapping the board s expertise in recycled water management.

In recent months, the PUB has hosted representatives from the Queensland Water Commission who visited its Newater Visitor Centre and desalination plant. And last month, the board's director of technology and water quality, Mr Harry Seah, accepted the commission's invitation to be a member of its Expert Advisory Panel.

"There is growing interest in recycled water as many countries are looking for solutions to ensure a sustainable supply of water ... PUB is happy to share our success in the Newater programme," said Mr Ng Han Tong, PUB's director of industry development.

"If Australia is keen to leverage on Singapore s experience in the Newater programme, PUB's subsidiary, Singapore Utilities International, will also support the Singapore-based water companies on such projects," he added.
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