SouthernJet Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Householders to be charged for each flush of toilet Article from: November 16, 2008 03:00pm HOUSEHOLDERS would be charged for each flush under a radical new toilet tax designed to help beat the drought. The scheme would replace the current system, which sees sewage charges based on a home's value - not its waste water output. CSIRO Policy and Economic Research Unit member Jim McColl and Adelaide University Water Management Professor Mike Young plan to promote the move to state and federal politicians and experts across the country. "It would encourage people to reduce their sewage output by taking shorter showers,recycling washing machine water or connecting rainwater tanks to internal plumbingto reduce their charges,''Professor Young said. "Some people may go as far as not flushing their toilet as often because the less sewage you produce, the less sewage rate you pay.'' Professor Young said sewer pricing needed to be addressed as part of the response to the water crisis. "People have been frightened to talk about sewage because it is yucky stuff, but it is critically important to address it, as part of the whole water cycle,'' he said. "We are looking at reforming the way sewage is priced and this plan will drive interest in the different ways water is used throughout Australia.'' The reform would see the abolition of the property-based charge with one based on a pay-as-you-go rate and a small fixed annual fee to cover the cost of meter readings and pipeline maintenance, Professor Young said. The pay-as-you-go rate would provide financial savings for those who reduce their waste water output. Professor Young and Mr McColl will promote the plan nationally through their Droplet, a newsletter whose 6000 subscribers include state and federal politicians, water policy specialists and economists around the country. Professor Young said a sewage pricing plan, like the one proposed, was already used in the US. "In places like the City of Bellaire, Texas (a virtual suburb of Houston), they do it and the system seems to work,'' he said. "As nearly all of (the homes in) mainland Australia's cities and towns already have water meters, introduction of a volumetric charge, such as that used in the City of Bellaire, would not be difficult to implement.'' Mr McColl said the plan had to be viewed in the context of "the crucial issues surrounding water resources'' in Australia. "We should be prepared for the (drought) situation we are going through now to occur again, as well as the potential impact of climate change, so we have to act now for the future,'' he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiLMiCKMANTLE Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 in my house since its only me and my dad that share a bathroom.. we tend to not flush pee but always flsuh poo... but pee does start to stink after a while if you dont flush it or if you are dehydrated and your pee is dam near brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 in my house since its only me and my dad that share a bathroom.. we tend to not flush pee but always flsuh poo... but pee does start to stink after a while if you dont flush it or if you are dehydrated and your pee is dam near brown or eat asparagus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiLMiCKMANTLE Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 or eat asparagus ohhh yea that will do it.. i had some brussel sprouts the other day and man let me tell ya.. peeeee eeewwwww Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryK Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I have a well and a drain field....and no oversight. I'm a flushin' fool! And I have a mighty green front lawn, to boot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I try to piss directly into streams when possible. All the streams here run into New York City reservoirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryK Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I try to piss directly into streams when possible. All the streams here run into New York City reservoirs. Why not? What makes fish so special? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JiFtheOracle Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I dont flush yellow until it really needs it. Ya know, water conservation and all that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHJF Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I flush everything. Don't let anything mellow. I also flush before taking a squirt in a urinal in a public restroom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneStarLady Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I don't understand the big deal with having a water meter in Australia. We all have them down here. They check our meters every month and we get billed for the water we use. Pretty simple. Then they average the two lowest months' water usage (Nov-Feb when no lawn watering happens) to find the rate for the waste water fee for the rest of the year. Not rocket science. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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