As grey nomads travel into remote parts of the country, the quality of drinking water they fill up their tanks with continues to be a cause for concern.
Many travellers choose to use bottled water or have filters installed as they seek to reduce the risk of illness spoiling parts of their big adventure. In recent months, there have been stories about PFAS chemicals contained in firefighting foams leaking into Katherine’s drinking water supply, and of deadly pathogens being detected at dangerous levels in unfiltered drinking water pumped from rivers, lakes and dams in several New South Wales regions.
The ABC now reports that one resident of Kambalda in the WA Goldfields has measured chlorine levels in her drinking water as being the same as in her swimming pool.
Chantele Horler said she now buys bottled water to drink and cook with because she does not think it was safe to drink the tap water in the town located about 60 kilometres from Kalgoorlie.
“It doesn’t taste quite right,” she told the ABC. “Showering in it, our skin is really bad and it is a bit scary bathing our baby in that water, not knowing what is in it.”
Other Kambalda residents have also complained that their water smells like a swimming pool and some have installed whole house filters.
However, Water Corporation Goldfields and Agricultural regional manager Sharon Broad said in a statement the levels of chlorine in Kambalda’s drinking water were safe for consumption.
“The average free chlorine residual in Kambalda over the last six months has been 0.8 milligrams per litre,” she said. “This is within water quality guidelines and well below the maximum level of five milligrams per litre, as outlined in the Australia Drinking Water Guidelines.”
The Water Corporation says water chlorinated to those guidelines will not damage appliances, but Ms Horler says that, within a year of living in Kambalda, she had to replace the washing machine, dishwasher and two coffee machines.
While Kambalda is not on every grey nomad itinerary, it does have a number of attractions including Red Hill Lookout which offers a superb view of Lake Lefroy, a large 510-square km salt pan which stretches to the horizon. And, located 16 kilometres north of town, is the King’s Battery picnic area which houses the remnants of an enormous 20 head gold stamper battery, an historic water paddle wheel and the remains of a tower.
We always boil our water or buy large containers of water from the supermarket. I have a medical condition which makes me especially sensitive to some town water supplies. Not worth taking the risk. I hate staying at places that have bore water to shower in also – it smells and dries out your hair and skin.
We will be filling up our water tanks with our own tank water and when that runs out we will be buying our drinking water from the supermarket.
All water that goes into our tanks, runs through a 2 stage filter, regardless of where we are getting the water from.