[Sam66]

A desalination plant is coming online soon in Sydney, giving water to residents in the city's inner west, east and Sutherland Shire. There's a handy tool on the Sydney Water website, sydneywater.com.au, which allows you to enter a Sydney postcode and check the source of the water that is coming out of the taps.

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/water-issues/taps-turn-on-to-seawater-this-week-20100123-mrnz.html

[FamousFive]

Thanks for that Sam. :)

[Martha]

Sounds like recycled water is getting popular with the water company. I only rent but have to pay weekly water charges now. I have done so for the past year. It is the wettest summer I've seen in decades and the local dam that feeds Sydney as well as the South Coast has risen back to safe levels - over 60% full. Once governments or other agencies give people a tax, they never let go. Not even if the reasons for it is short lived. I wonder what the next one will be.

[Sam66]

Sounds like recycled water is getting popular with the water company. I only rent but have to pay weekly water charges now. I have done so for the past year. It is the wettest summer I've seen in decades and the local dam that feeds Sydney as well as the South Coast has risen back to safe levels - over 60% full. Once governments or other agencies give people a tax, they never let go. Not even if the reasons for it is short lived. I wonder what the next one will be.

That one plant alone, when running at full capacity, will supply 15% of Sydney's daily water needs. You wouldn't think they would need to build many more.

[Thongs of Praise]

I agree with you Sam, if the population was going to stop growing, but remember...

Sydney to squeeze in 640,000 new homes

A forty per cent increase in Sydney's population over the next 20 years means the State Government has no option but to open up scores of suburbs for new developments, according to a radical proposal for Sydney to build 640,000 new dwellings.

The Urban Renewal Action Plan compiled by major property companies argues a complete change to the way planning is done is Sydney is essential if the city is to cope with the explosion in population.

In a document just provided to the Government, the NSW Property Council says the city is running out of old industrial sites like those in Alexandria and Pyrmont as areas for new housing and Sydney must move to a new, more difficult phase where there is large-scale development close to existing and new transport routes.

The director of the NSW Property Council, Ken Morrison, conceded the changes advocated were ''confronting'' and ''there will be conflict'' if they are adopted. But there was no choice but to change the way planning was done to cope with the inevitable population growth.

http://www.aol.com.au/news/story/Sydney-to-squeeze-in-640000-new-homes/2397246/index.html