Media Release - Quorn cries foul over 30-year water crisis
‘The dog won’t drink it, so why should we?’
That’s the question residents in the South Australian town of Quorn are asking SA Water and the State Government, after a survey revealed a staggering 97% of the town’s residents don’t drink the mains water due to its extremely poor quality.
The high chlorine, chloride and salt count in Quorn’s water supply resembles a swimming pool and, as a result, the community is forced to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars each year on alternatives such as bottled water.
While SA Water has declared Quorn a priority community for urgent water quality improvements following a rigorous assessment process that found the water supply fails to comply with the agency’s own indicators, the town remains on the list to be considered at a future time.
Flinders Ranges Council Mayor Ken Anderson says this assessment underscores the critical need for immediate action to rectify water quality issues plaguing the town – yet, despite this, no budgetary allocation has been made by SA Water for the next four years.
Mayor Anderson is pleading for an end to the water crisis that has been plaguing the regional town for more than three decades.
“Undrinkable tap water has placed a significant financial, environmental and health toll on the Quorn community,” Mayor Anderson said.
“Residents have to buy expensive bottled water amid a cost-of-living crunch, a task made more difficult for those with limited mobility and means to travel to and from the town’s only supermarket with a heavy load of groceries.
“The water causes skin irritations, plants won’t grow with extended use of tap water, washing machines need routine replacement due to corrosion, and pipes and taps are always getting blocked or broken. Even the pet dog won’t drink it.
“It affects this wonderful town’s reputation and is damaging for a region that is trying to attract new residents and businesses.
“Put simply, our residents deserve better.”
Currently, the alternative to bottled water is rainwater. However, Flinders Ranges Council estimates that rainwater costs more than $2,000 per household per annum and is dependent on seasonal conditions – Quorn’s average annual rainfall is approximately 250mm, less than half of Adelaide’s average annual rainfall, making it one of the driest regional towns in the state.
The council are urging SA Water and the State Government to build a desalination plant to service the residents of Quorn with drinkable mains tap water, with the ability to support population growth.
Mayor Anderson said Flinders Ranges Council and members of the community had reached out to local politicians, Deputy Premier and Minister for Climate, Environment and Water Susan Close, SA Water and the Essential Services Commission of South Australia, along with presenting their concerns to Country Cabinet.
Despite these efforts, he said Quorn’s calls for action have so far fallen on deaf ears.
"The community has been very proactive and taken part in the various community consultation processes carried out by SA Water including online surveys and face to face meetings, however they aren’t being listened to,” Mayor Anderson said.
“South Australia is the best state, in the best country in the world, yet our residents don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water. That’s not right and our community deserves better.”
The Local Government Association (LGA) has joined Flinders Ranges Council in calling on SA Water, the Essential Services Commission of South Australia, and the State Government to take immediate steps to rectify the town’s water quality.
LGA CEO Clinton Jury said he was shocked to learn about the ongoing water crisis affecting the Quorn township during a recent visit to the area.
“It’s staggering and completely unacceptable that an award-winning South Australian town less than four hours’ drive from Adelaide doesn’t have access to clean drinking water,” Mr Jury said.
“Not only does it make living in Quorn harder for locals, but it also impacts the viability of businesses and hinders tourism.
“Flinders Ranges Council has raised concerns about this issue for years and, so far, those concerns have been ignored. We continually see water quality improvements made across metropolitan Adelaide while this regional town and gateway to the outback is being left behind.
“Access to drinking water is a basic human right and the LGA is requesting urgent, immediate action to rectify this serious failure against the Quorn community.”
About Quorn:
Quorn is located in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges, 335km north of Adelaide. Governed by the Flinders Ranges Council, it has a population of 1,230 residents, while approximately 500,000 tourists and visitors pass through each year. Quorn is home to the historic Pichi Richi Railway and is widely known as the gateway to the outback.
Media contacts:
Ben Smeaton – ben@communikate.net.au / 0488 940 010
Vicki Cirillo – vicki@communikate.net.au / 0427 020 909
LGA Media – media@lga.sa.gov.au / 0476 853 689