Antinuclear

Elder Rick Townsend lives near the water treatment plant.

“I get the smell of it every morning and it’s the foulest smell,” he said.

“I don’t drink it, not at all. I drink the water at the hospital, tank water. Or I’ll buy the water in the supermarkets.”

Another local, Chantelle Kennedy, said most people were avoiding the tap water. “Most of us go to IGA and buy packs of 24 bottles for $20. It’s dear,” she said.

“A lot of people have been buying fizzy drinks because of the water. Some of them come out and buy hot drinks, which is cheaper than buying water.”

Salt of the earth

The bore water is from the Great Artesian Basin, which provides water for many outback communities.

However, tests of the drinking water in Walgett have shown the sodium levels there exceed Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

Associate Professor Jacqui Webster, from the George Institute for Global Health, said the sodium levels were concerning.

“The sodium levels in the Walgett water supply are at 300 milligrams per litre and the Australian drinking water guidelines are 180 milligrams per litre, so that’s substantially higher,” she said……..

Chief Executive of the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service, Christine Corby, said high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes were common health issues.

“Unfortunately in our community and particularly Aboriginal people, they have a high incidence of chronic disease,” she said.

“I believe we are going to have an increase in chronic disease here, particularly from the water consumption,” she said.

“In my life here in Walgett for 40 odd years, it’s the first time I’ve never drank straight from the tap,” she said.

“I just worry for people who have to drink straight from the tap.”………..

Cr Martinez said that as soon as there was water in the rivers again, Walgett would be back on river water — or at least on a mixture of river and bore water.

He said the bore water was a short-term emergency supply.

“I’m not doubting what they say, long-term effects of anything can be harmful, especially sodium or salt in the water system,” he said.

Many residents in Walgett believe it is not just the drought that is to blame for the dry rivers.

They say the waterways have not being managed properly and that too much water is being taken out upstream.

Chairman of the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service, Bill Kennedy, said it was hard when people saw so much water in the rivers not far up the road.

“We’ve lived through droughts before but there was always some water, and some running water,” he said.

“I guess progress has changed all that with irrigators, farming, and especially cotton further up the river.

“I was driving to Tamworth, Newcastle last week and there’s water in the rivers further up at Gunnedah, Narrabri, Wee Waa.”

The mayor agreed, and said it was frustrating to see so much water upstream in both rivers.

“Even in this present time now you’ll see irrigators spraying all their crops,” Cr Martinez said.

“You’ve got a town with no water supply and you go 30kms up the road and irrigators are pumping”

Cr Martinez said the last two water releases from Lake Keepit were supposed to flow down as far as Walgett but they never made it……….

Spirits at low ebb

Many people in this community were deeply saddened by the state of the two rivers here.

Elder Rick Townsend says it was the worst dry spell anyone could remember.

It’s a pretty bad state of affairs,” he said.

“It’s the worst I’ve ever seen it in all my life that I’ve lived here.”

For countless generations, the rivers have been a place to meet, fish and swim. But locals said at the moment that was simply not possible.

“There’s no fish or anything in the river any more,” says another Elder, Thomas Morgan.

“People used to come down here and fish every day, catch heaps of fish and crayfish. [They would] come with their kids and spend a good day here with them and be happy, and now they can’t do that.”……..https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-11/health-experts-warn-walgetts-water-too-high-in-salt/10599186