Government of Western Australia Housing Authority 7 kel Media Response ‘99 Plain Street, East Perth Western Australia 6004 Tel: (08) 9222 8141 : media.tiafson@housing.wa.gov.au www.housing.wa.gov.aut Emai 23 May, 2016 ATTENTION: Ella Archibald-Binge and Craig Quartermaine, SBS NITV Email: Elia.Archibald-Binge@sbs.com.au and craig.quartermaine@sbs.com.au SUBJECT: Water quality in remote WA communities QUERY: Ella here from NITV. | understand my colleague Craig Quartermaine may have been in touch with Mr Holt's office earlier regarding a story on water contamination in remote WA Aboriginal communities. I'm assisting with the story - which will air tonight on The Point with Stan Grant & be published online - and am chasing a response addressing the following questions: - In May 2016, an audit recommended the Department of Housing should, by December 2015, have determined how it can improve water quality in remote communities to meet Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. What steps have been taken to improve water quality? - Were at-risk communities notified about water contamination? If so, how? - What steps have been taken to reduce risks to residents in the affected communities? - Does the Department of Housing have a long-term plan to improve water quality in these communities? Additional questions from Craig Quartermaine: 1) How long has the Government been aware of the concerns over Nitrate levels at Pandana Parks ? 2) Have any other West Kimberley communities raised concerns over the water quality in their communities since 2014 ? 3) How many communities are offered bottled water to compensate for the lack of safe drinking water in this state to your knowledge ? 4) Are communities with water quality issues going to able to have their systems improved or upgraded given funding cuts Federally and state wide ? RESPONSE IN BRIEF: Water quality in remote indigenous communities is a complex issue and misinformation in the communities is common.‘These communities are typically located in remote areas where the provision of scheme water is impractical, so the communities depend on ground water drawn from bores. Ground water in the Kimberley differs from that in many other regions due to the presence of naturally occurring elements—most notably nitrates and uranium. Processing ground water to a suitable standard requires purification equipment to get water to a quality that makes it safe for consumption. Our testing shows that the tap water in Pandanus Park is (under the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines) safe to drink by most people, except for bottle-fed infants under three months old. The tap water at Pandanus Park may be discoloured and have an odour, but it is still safe for consumption by most people, except for bottle-fed infants under three months old. Recent water quality improvements include a marked reduction in the number of failed water quality tests recorded in RAESP communities; reduced from 136 in the period July 2012 to June 2014 to 73 in the period July 2014 to April 2016. ‘There are currently 15 communities in the RAESP being supplied with bottled water by RAESP for bottle fed infants less than three months old. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The Housing Authority through the Remote Area Essential Services Program (RAESP) provides drinking water with the current available infrastructure. Housing did not build the infrastructure and does not own it. Poor water quality in some communities fundamentally reflects inadequate infrastructure, an area for which the Commonwealth Government was primarily responsible for funding unti it walked away from its longstanding obligations in 2014. RAESP is funded by the State Government for repairs and maintenance of existing infrastructure. In order to bring all community water supplies to Australian Drinking Water Guidelines standards adequate financial support from the state and/or commonwealth governments is required to upgrade/replace existing essential services infrastructure in remote communities. This is beyond RAESP's current scope and funding arrangements. However RAESP has made significant improvements in the quality of drinking water, and continues to seek additional funding for essential services capital works to remote communities that are a high priority Since the Office of the Auditor General audit, Housing has implemented a Water Quality Strategy and Policy to provide safer drinking water to RAESP communities and achieve compliance with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. However these improvements are contingent on funding being provided. Housing has also developed RAESP procedures and improved the management of water treatment systems including the completion of regular compliance audit checks. In addition, Housing has installed 19 fully automated remotely monitored chlorine water treatment systems in prioritised RAESP communities. Two reverse osmosis units at the communities of Jigalong and Cosmo Newberry were also installed, funded by a capital budget allocation. RAESP conducts testing of drinking water every month and chemical composition every six months. All results are considered by the Department of Health at a monthly meeting.In the event of a water quality test failure, RAESP acts promptly to mitigate the issues in accordance with Department of Health protocols and in line with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. Many chemical contaminants found in elevated levels in water are naturally occurring, such as nitrates or uranium. Communities that are located in areas of higher nitrate and uranium levels will require a significant capital investment to address the water quality. Recent water quality improvements include a marked reduction in the number of failed water quality tests recorded in RAESP communities; reduced from 136 in the period July 2012 to June 2014 to 73 in the period July 2014 to April 2016. Improvement in water quality results, specifically since 2014 have been noted and positively commented on by the Department of Health and the Advisory Committee on the Purity of Water. There are currently 15 communities in the RAESP being supplied with bottled water by RAESP for bottle fed infants less than three months old. Bottled water is only provided due to elevated nitrates in the water which could affect bottle fed infants less than three months old, It should be noted that nitrates are a naturally occurring substance in the water of some regions. Furthermore, RAESP provides ‘nitrate notices’ to the community when nitrate levels exceed the Guidelines. Housing works closely with the Department of Health regarding water quality and where issues arise, Housing liaises with the community health nurse, the service provider or the nominated community contact person. This ensures the affected community is provided with appropriate updates and information on drinking water quality. When required, bottled water is distributed through the local health clinic by the local nurse. If there is no health clinic the community office distributes the water. According to the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, the acceptable level for nitrates is under 50mg/L for bottle fed infants less than three months old and 100mgj/L for anyone over three months old. There are currently no communities serviced by RAESP that have in their water nitrates levels higher than 100mg/L. For example, Pandanus Park has naturally occurring Nitrate in their water supplies—levels may fluctuate over time but Nitrate will remain as a naturally occurring characteristic. Nitrate notices have been issued to the community on a quarterly basis with the last notice issued in April 2016. RAESP has also maintained regular contact with the community contact person by email and telephone to check on the bottled water supplies and distribution. (On 23 March this year, 960 600 ml bottles of water were delivered to the community administration centre at Pandanus Park for distribution. This amount is sufficient for approximately eight months for the three bottle-fed infants at Pandanus Park, and is in line with the ADWG recommendations of an estimated requirement of 0.75 Liday per infant under three months of age. This supply was distributed to other community members and, within two weeks, the entire supply had been consumed. An additional supply of 960 600 mL bottles of water for the three infants was delivered to the community on 7 April 2016.‘The State took over responsibility for RAESP in 1998-99 and has managed Pandanus Park’s water quality and other essential services since then. The State Government's regional services reform program will include extensive on-the- ground discussions with Aboriginal families living in town-based reserves and remote ‘communities in the North-West with the aim of improving socio-economic outcomes and access to equitable standards of service. Please attribute quotes to Nigel Hindmarsh, Acting General Manager Commercial Operations