Firefighters Refuse to Use Recycled Water

Professional firefighters in Australia have told the New South Wales Fire Brigade they will not use recycled water to extinguish fires until they are assured it is safe, the ABC reported.

According to the Fire Brigade Employees Union, only a few fire hydrant systems are connected to recycled water in Sydney, but its members will ignore them and use instead clean water hydrants provided alongside.

Darryl Snow, Union spokesman said that Sydney Water warns people not to shower in recycled water and firefighters feel there is no point risking their health by using it.

"We're saying that until you can satisfy us that we're not going to be placing ourselves in any extra risk in using it, we'll continue to use the portable water hydrants system," he explained.

Snow expressed concerns over the risk of firefighters with cuts or abrasions using recycled water. "The reality is in firefighting cuts are a reality of every fire, there's not a fire you go to where you don't end up with some sort of cut or abrasion," he said.

Source: ABC