Drinking Water in Australia.

What happens when our water does not meet the quality standards?

In Australia, our water quality is guided by the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) which lists upper safe limits for over 300 possible contaminants. The ADWG is not a legally binding document on its own and its enforcement is at the discretion of each state or territory. 

Contaminants in the water can cause illness and make the water unpleasant to drink.  Centralised treatment facilities predominantly focus on effective disinfection, ensuring the water is free from pathogens and safe to drink. However, most of us have experienced tap water that has excessive colour, is unpleasant tasting or smells of chlorine.

So, what has happened when my tap water is brown or smells of chlorine?

It could be a temporary seasonal variation in the quality of the source water such as an algal bloom or excessive overland flows due to heavy rains, or an unexpected event following treatment such as excessive storage times in a pump well or pipe due to low demand.

If the substandard water quality is more permanent, then it would most likely be that the water treatment processes are inadequate or inappropriate for the specific raw water source. This could be a design fault, a maintenance issue or the failure to keep the facilities upgraded as the raw water source changes over time (treatment facilities can have a design life of up to 80 years).

Are there consequences for the water agencies when delivering substandard water?

In short, yes. Depending on the location, considering access to safe drinking water is essential for life, in the developed world, most agencies are required to carry out continuous monitoring of the water quality leaving the facility. This can either be through inline monitoring (monitoring equipment fitted directly to the pipes and pumps and provides real time data) onsite laboratory monitoring (samples taken to the onsite laboratory and tested immediately) and formal monitoring at an external accredited laboratory where the results can take several days to be available.

These test results are typically required to be submitted on a regular basis to a government regulatory body such health or environment departments. Options are then discussed to bring the treatment facilities back into compliance. There may be notices or fines issued, and the agency may have to upgrade or carry out other works by a given date.

However, in areas where tap water doesn't meet standards over a long period, and there are many areas in Australia where tap water is undrinkable on a permanent basis, the regulatory process is broken. The regulators are not properly enforcing the legal requirements for drinking water quality. Further, upgrading treatment processes is expensive, and can be a lengthy process and governments may be reluctant to commit funds to the planning and design of new or upgraded facilities.

What can you do?

Although all this may help you understand why your tap water may be substandard, it doesn't do anything to help you access better water. If the issue is long term, options may include boiling your water, fitting an under sink filter, fitting an AFS to your water bottle or using bottled water for drinking. If you want to go further, you could research the water agency/council/county responsible for treating and delivering water to your home, the legal requirements they are bound by in terms of water quality and the government body responsible for regulating them (usually a health department) and then approach them.

Wishing you the best of luck as you go on your journey to better health. As with anything water related, if you have any questions, please get in touch with our expert team at Admin@accessfilterstraws.com.au and we will offer any assistance we can.