Residents of a South Australian town have been left disappointed their plea for drinkable mains water has again fallen on deaf ears.
Key points:
- Just three per cent of Quorn’s population drink mains water due to its poor quality
- Residents say they are struggling with financial costs of buying bottled water and replacing calcified plumbing and appliances
- The local council is calling for SA Water to commit to building a groundwater desalination plant
The township of Quorn, 40 kilometres north-west of Port Augusta, has been calling on SA Water to improve its water quality.
Just 3 per cent of the town’s 1,232 residents drink the mains water, an SA Water survey found. The remainder rely on rainwater or bottled water, which they say could be resolved if a desalination plant were built.
Residents complain of high salinity and mineral levels in the water, which they say makes it unpleasant to drink and leads to build-up in appliances.
Barbara Walker has been living in Quorn for two decades and says the tap water is of low quality.
“I can’t use the town water in the shower because it affects my skin and my feet and my hands … we’re paying for our water in Quorn, and we can’t use it,” Mrs Walker said.
Flinders Ranges Council mayor Ken Anderson travelled with residents to Adelaide to show the extent of damage to their plumbing and call for immediate action.
The Flinders Ranges Council said they have been lobbying SA Water for better water quality for three decades, with no action.
Corroded plumbing, low water quality
Quorn was identified by SA Water as one of three “priority” towns in its long-term plan for improving drinking water aesthetics, looking at water quality across the state.
SA Water’s plan found half of Quorn residents have had to replace their taps three or more times in the past five years.
Mayor Anderson said the town has been facing this crisis for more than three decades, with residents footing costly bills for corroded plumbing and alternative water sources.
“We’ve had long discussions with SA Water and it’s falling on deaf ears,” Mayor Anderson said.
SA Water released its 2024 Regulatory Determination which excluded Quorn once more, leaving the local mayor and residents dismayed.
“We’re pretty disappointed to be left out of the four-year plan again, which means the community has to wait for another four, maybe eight years to get this problem solved,” Mayor Anderson said.
Local Government Association chief executive Clinton Jury said he has seen “similar issues” in other regional communities, but never as bad as in Quorn.
“Even the dogs won’t drink the water,” Mr Jury said.
“We’re coming into a really, hot dry summer and the issue is only going to get worse.”
Pensioners feeling the bite
Quorn has a significantly older population on average, with a median age of 53 compared to 41 across the state.
Research undertaken by the Council on the Ageing SA’s operation The Plug-In and funded by the Department for Environment and Water and the Consumer Advocacy Research Fund found elderly residents were struggling to use alternative water sources.
“My mum is 78 … and trying to scrub a bathroom because of the water quality, there’s a risk of falls because she’s carrying something and her balance is off,” one respondent said.
“I’ve got a whole heap of taps that are frozen now, but I just don’t use them,” another said.
“I can’t afford to get them fixed on a pension … one bathroom doesn’t work.”
Desalination cost too high
The council wants to see a groundwater desalination plant built in the township to supply Quorn with higher-quality water. However, the $50.9 million price tag was deemed too hefty by SA Water.
A spokesperson said the desalination plant would cost $42,000 per benefiting resident in Quorn.
“We understand this may not be the outcome desired by the local community. However, we cannot currently support expenditure for this aesthetic water upgrade to one community in lieu of other projects supporting the delivery of our essential water and sewer services across the state,” a spokesperson said.
State Environment Minister Susan Close said the cost to build the desalination plant could not be justified in the current economic climate.
“It has not been included as part of the 2024–28 regulatory proposal due to the utility’s need to prioritise meeting its existing obligations without putting excessive pressure on water prices … Quorn’s water supply is deemed safe to drink and currently meets Australian standards,” Minister Close said.
An SA Water spokesperson said Quorn will remain “a priority area” and they would continue to assess the inclusion of any water quality upgrades as part of future regulatory proposals.