'Water is too cheap in Australia' | NEWS.com.au

'Water is too cheap in Australia' | NEWS.com.au ""You could say that God is providing enough rain and water but somebody has to pay for the pipes and pay for the supply of water" ONE of the world's leading economic think tanks has said Australians must start paying more for water. The OECD's Environmental Performance Review of Australia says water is being wasted because it is too cheap. It says the move would help conserve water and encourage investment in alternative supplies. The recommendation is one of 45 made by the OECD's Environment Directorate in the first such report about Australia in a decade. "Water prices for urban consumers remain low and thus do not encourage conservation or investment in new sources of supply," the report says. "The potential for water reuse and recycling has yet to be fully exploited."