Narrandera’s dirty water has for many years been an ongoing issue caused by the town’s old pipes, although the water is regularly tested and deemed safe to drink.

Narrandera Council’s deputy general manager infrastructure, Shane Wilson, previously assured residents that the water met safety guidelines.

“It meets the safe drinking water guidelines. As much as the discolouration is unpleasant, it doesn’t pose a public health risk,” he said.

Narrandera’s water supply comes from four ground bores placed along the edge of the Murrumbidgee River, which have been there for at least 20 years.

The bores themselves have filtration systems within but they also go through the treatment plant, which does some filtration and chlorination.

Causes of the issue

• Old pipes: The primary cause is the town’s old pipe system, particularly older cast iron pipes, which can cause discolouration even with new mains.

• Pipe breaks: Main breaks can allow dirt and sediment to enter the water supply.

• Historical issues: Some properties have been dealing with this issue for a decade or more.

What the council has been doing:

• Long-term plan: The Narrandera Council has been developing an Integrated Water Cycle Management (IWCM) plan and undertaking physical works to improve water quality.

• Pipe replacement: Approximately 2km of water mains are replaced each year.

• Free water filters: The council offers free household water filter units to residents who are experiencing dirty water.

• Ongoing testing: The water is regularly tested for safety to ensure it meets Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

In November 2020 council implemented a new program to improve the provision of clean water to affected properties in Narrandera.

Short-term measures to reduce the impact and incidence of coloured water included:

• routine and on-call hydrant flushing when customers report coloured water and

• installation of domestic filter units with replaceable cartridge filters in the worst affected areas, with four washable filter cartridges supplied.