Householders to be charged for each flush of toilet.

[Antaletriangle]

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/stor...005369,00.html
Australia.
Householders to be charged for each flush of 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.

[Antaletriangle]

I remember saying as a kid that they'll tax you on the air you breathe soon i.e. athletes pay more because of larger lung capacity etc.Nothing's safe-humans are a commodity to be made money out of-preyed upon emotionally,spiritually and physically-it's as if we're bing milked from every source-you are born then wired into the milking machine for the fat boys to feed from.

[Steve_A]

Hi Antaletriangle,

My nephew and his wife are selling a rather interesting eco friendly water saving & multi cleaner urinal product which can reduce water usage of your lavatory up to 99%!

Shameless plug, I know, but it will save people who are on this 'pay to flush' scheme an awful lot of money.

The link is: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ECO-FRIENDLY-W...1%7C240%3A1318

"Eco-pod can cut your water usage upto 99% ... and saves you money on your water and sewerage bill! The average urinal, flushing every 15 minutes wastes 151,000 litres of water a year. In the UK this can costs around £250 per urinal per annum. Using eco-pod this is reduced by 99%. When you multiply the savings per urinal by the number of urinal bays in your premises, the overall savings can be substantial.

Price includes 70 Eco-Pods per tub also a 5ltr Eco-Clean

Example: A small hotel or pub could save 982,800 litres a year (£1,670).

Ideal for government buildings,councils,pubs,clubs,schools,hospital's,f actories generally anywhere there are numerous amounts of urinals.

Implementation of the eco-pod system and the savings are immediate. There is no capital outlay on equipment costs or disruption to the urinals or washroom facilities. Simply turn off your water, place one eco-pod in each urinal bowl, and then follow an easy cleaning regime and let our natural organic friendly microbes get to work!

An eco-pod system urinal is a healthy urinal. It is also more hygienic. Unlike a full flushing urinal (which send bacteria flying through the air like an aerosol) the eco-pod system allows the urinal surfaces to stay dryer, depriving unfriendly bacteria of the moisture and places they need to form permanent colonies.

The eco-pod system doesn’t just mask the problem of bad odours… it fixes them…naturally! There is now no need for expensive sanitisers, air fresheners or toxic deodorant blocks.

The eco-pod system is 100% biodegradable and completely sewerage safe. Our friendly microbes rapidly break down uric scale, lime scale and other unwanted deposits keeping all pipe work clear and clean, negating the need for any expensive call outs.

As the eco-pod system is so effective at eliminating uric scale and malodours the requirement for lengthy daily cleaning is reduced. Overall care and upkeep of the eco-pod system is fast, simple and easy

The daily cleaning procedure is simple, fast and importantly… chemical free. No more harmful chemical disinfectants, bleach or poisonous sanitizers are necessary. And this is good news for the environment.

The Eco-Clean is an all purpose eco-friendly cleaner without the eliments of chemicals. The product works hand in hand with the Eco-Pods. Diluted with water at a ratio of 1:20, it's ideal to clean the urinals or troughs down whilst the Eco-Pods are in situ.


IMPORTANT: Any other cleaning agent would simply kill off the bugs that are within the Eco-Pods.
If you dilute with water the Eco-Clean at a ratio 1:50, it makes a very good all purpose maintenence cleaner.

ANY QUERIES PLEASE EMAIL ME AT ecosystemsservices@live.co.uk I WILL TRY AND RESPOND AS PROMPTLY AS POSSIBLE THANK YOU.

ANY ADDITIONAL ORDERS CAN BE TAILOR MADE."

Best regards,

Steve

Originally Posted by Antaletriangle

I remember saying as a kid that they'll tax you on the air you breathe soon i.e. athletes pay more because of larger lung capacity etc.Nothing's safe-humans are a commodity to be made money out of-preyed upon emotionally,spiritually and physically-it's as if we're bing milked from every source-you are born then wired into the milking machine for the fat boys to feed from.

[Antaletriangle]

Sounds a good system the eco pod.I may mention it to some of the landlords in town.

[alyscat]

System sounds like what I've always had. You pay a water bill, and on it is a sewage fee, based on the amount of water you use. Not a "pay per flush" but I'd guess you could look at it that way.
alys

[Aussie Babe]

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/stor...005369,00.html


In love and light
Aussie Babe

[oceanblue]

Alternatives are always out there......google "compost toilets"

http://www.lowimpact.org/factsheet_compost_toilets.htm

[Ammit]

There is also a new system I saw recently on the news, its a foam flush toilet which is totally biodegradable and only uses 3onz water for each flush. The toilet when flushed sends a foam/water mixture which sanitizes the bowl as it does so.

Try here: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005...flush_toil.php

Looks good and apparently smells good too..