Next month, Tamworth Regional Council's lead project manager for the city's upcoming water purification facility will join an Australian/New Zealand study delegation to the WateRuse symposium in Denver, USA, at an estimated cost of $17,600 to the local council.

The trip was approved at council's most recent meeting only a few minutes after councillors were discussing how unfunded mandates from the state government are tightly squeezing Tamworth's budget.

At a press conference the next day, Tamworth mayor Russell Webb said there was no irony in calling out the financial burdens of government-imposed cost shifting while at the same time approving funding for an international trip.

"Where's the cost shifting? We're using our money to try and better our lot in life here in Tamworth, and that's what we always try to do," Cr Webb said.

"We would be foolish not to send [the project manager] when one of our biggest challenges is trying to get our water purification plant right."

The council staff member will be required to submit a report on the conference within three months after returning.

Cr Webb said knowledge from the report would propel the proposed water facility forward, but the local ratepayer's association said the trip was an unneeded cash splash for a project only a quarter of the way through its planning stage.

Tamworth Regional Residents and Ratepayers Association vice president David McKinnon said he was "nearly tongue-tied with frustration" when he heard about council's plans.

"This recycled water is for the city's abattoirs, so why aren't they paying the $20,000 for the trip over there instead of relying on our council to set up an industry for them?"

The proposed water recycling plant is designed to take Tamworth's meat processors off the city's reticulated water supply, improving water security for Tamworth, Moonbi, and Kootingal.

Mr McKinnon said while water security was a huge issue, he didn't see why council can't get the information it needs domestically or via Zoom meetings.

"If you look at the amount of money Sydney Water is spending on recycling at the moment, it would make a lot more sense to go and get your information from them," he said.

Sydney Water poured $35.9 million into recycled water schemes last year.

In response to a similar question from the media, Cr Webb said the knowledge council stands to gain by touring US facilities in-person would pay dividends.

"You can't do these things on Zoom. If you're going to go to something like this you need to be a part of it, you need to visit sites, see the new technology at work, actually touch and feel what's happening in a country that's a lot further advanced than we are with water purification," the mayor said.

But it's not just the immediate cost that has ratepayers concerned.

Mr McKinnon said while $17,600 may be a drop in the ocean from council's perspective, he's also worried about Tamworth being sold down the river to corporate interests.

"In America everything's private, so there will be private businesses wanting to sell their wares at a great cost," he said.

"More than likely they have systems ready to be built in Australia, and I worry part of the invitation is to try to get anybody with influence to get on board with purchasing the recycling stuff they've got."

Before the backlash, multiple councillors sought to preempt ratepayers' concerns around the cost of the trip during council's most recent meeting.

Deputy mayor Judy Coates said funding this particular trip wasn't an issue because council was using money already been set aside for improving Tamworth's water security.

"It's important we all remember the money for this professional development opportunity is being funded out of the water fund, not the general fund, so we're not spending special rate variation money," Cr Coates said.

Specifically, that money is coming from the budget allocated to the proposed water recycling facility's pre-construction activities.

Cr Brooke Southwell said at first she was hesitant to support the trip due to the cost, but came around because council "very rarely" funded trips like these and water security was Tamworth's most important issue.

"I believe we did it when we built AELEC as well, we went over and had a look at the facilities overseas and now look at what we've got with AELEC. It's an amazing facility," Cr Southwell said.

Approval for the trip was unanimous.