GM says it’s a No 1 priority

Narrandera Shire Council General Manager George Cowan assured residents of the town that water quality is the Council’s number one priority, but relief is estimated to be three years away.

Claims have been made that many residents are living off bottled water because the town supply is leaving them with irritated bowels and skin rashes.

Karin Olsen moved to Narrandera from Sydney six months ago and in an interview with the ABC claimed that within three days she was suffering from stomach cramps and diarrhoea.

When she mentioned her symptoms to a local retailer in town, their response was disturbing.

“They said, ‘For God’s sake don’t drink the tap water’,” Ms Olsen said.

Since switching to bottled water at a cost of $100 per fortnight, her symptoms had gone but the tap water regularly smelt and looked “putrid”.

The water issue has plagued Narrandera for years and its not the first time people have aired their views.

Narrandera’s water supply comes from four ground bores placed along the edge of the Murrumbidgee River, which have been there for at least 20 years.

He said the issue stemmed from a decision in the 1980s to use groundwater for the town’s drinking supply without installing a filtration system.

Mr Cowan said a decision by a former council in the 1980s essentially condemned this community to this outcome.

Mr Cowan said the water now went through some primary treatments including chlorine injection and, while it was considered safe to drink, it “retains a heavy chemical load and strong taste associated with bore water”.

He said the water was regularly tested and was considered drinkable, and while he had not received many complaints about physical reactions, he urged anyone with symptoms to contact the council.

Mr Cowan said the council had been working with the state government to plan a new treatment plant for the past six years, but estimated it was still another three years away.

“I would like to do this a lot quicker but unfortunately we haven’t been able to do that given the mechanics of the process that we have to follow,” he said.

In the interim, free domestic filtration devices have been made available to residents.

A spokesperson for the Department of Planning and Environment gave an assurance that Narrandera’s water met Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

The department said they had provided $215,000 to the council for water planning, some of which is being used for a feasibility study into solution to the water quality.

This study needed to be completed before they could discuss “next steps”. 

This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 6 April 2023.