In recent years, the quality – and indeed the simple availability – of water, has become an increasing issue for many grey nomads visiting remote areas across Australia.
Back in 2017, NSW Health documents showed that more than 100,000 residents of the state had been issued protective boil-water alerts in the previous five years due to ‘contamination incidents’ … and New South Wales is not alone.
This sort of data doesn’t do much to inspire confidence in older travellers who rely on local water sources and who are understandably keen not to have their dream trips blighted by a tummy bug or worse.
Having previously contracted the Cryptosporidium stomach infection from the water supply in Mossman and contracting Giardia while in Cairns, long-term traveller Kev Conoplia installed a filtration system in his caravan … and he is glad he did.
“The system has worked 100% over our 15 years around the country so far,” said Kev. “Back in 2004 we were staying at a van park in Central Queensland when everyone else there developed stomach problems from the town water … but we never had an issue.”
Besides from not wanting to get sick from water, grey nomads also want it to taste okay, but they get used to a lot of variations as they travel.
According to Western Sydney University water scientist Ian Wright, Perth and Adelaide’s drinking water is often considered the worst. “Australia really is the most water-deprived continent, and Adelaide and Perth really cop it,” he said.
Water in those two cities is saltier than the rest of the country, when measured in total dissolvable solids (TDS) in milligrams per litre. Apparently, Adelaide’s location at the end of the Murray River means the water has already picked up different organic and inorganic contaminants on its way there. For its part, Mr Wright said Perth was “getting on 45 years of drought”, which had created a reliance on groundwater which generally has a higher salt content than water from catchments.
Research shows Melbourne, Darwin, Canberra and Hobart have the least salty water.
In order to raise appreciation for water providers that get it right, the Water Industry Operators Association of Australia (WIOAQ) holds an annual Best Tasting Tap Water competition in which water samples are judged on colour, clarity, odour and mouthfeel during blind taste tests.
The winner of last year’s national title was Wannon Water in Victoria, with the state champions being named as:
Queensland: Livingstone Shire Council – Yeppoon
New South Wales: Port Macquarie Hastings Council – Port Macquarie
Tasmania: TasWater – Bryn Estyn (Greater Hobart)
South Australia: SA Water – Woolpunda WTP
Victoria: Wannon Water – Hamilton WTP
The debarkle of the stealing of water from the Murray Darling Basin has given rise to Bluegreen Algae in town water supplies which is now seen as a causal factor in Motor Neurone Disease.
We have plenty of water in Australia it just falls in the wrong places. We lack the political will to build dams and divert the water to the places that require it. Most rainfall in Australia runs out to the sea.
I refer to the Bradfield scheme proposed in 1938 to divert water from Queensland down the Darling and Murray. In the West we have Lake Argyle and the Ord River which could be diverted south. Another option is Nuclear powered desalination plants. I agree the water quality in many locations is not drinkable. My van has a water filter and at some locations been force to spend a small fortune on bottled water.
Desalination is not an option for fresh water. All we are doing is taking the salt out and then putting the concentrated solutions back and damaging the environment