Following the recent Orange City Life article on issues to do with Central Tablelands Water's (CTW) recategorisation of supplies in rural areas as no longer technically being potable (safe to drink), a series of questions was put to CTW on the issue.

Due to space and time considerations, its response was not able to be published with the original feature item that ran on page 12 of the Thursday, September 3, issue.

Below are the original questions put to Central Tablelands Water, and the responses from general manager, Charlie Harris.

Q: HOW MANY RURAL LANDHOLDERS RECEIVED THIS LETTER?

A: Approximately 753 rural customers supplied under Central Tablelands Water's Rural Water Supply Policy received correspondence advising of the classification of their rural water supply.

Q: WAS THIS CHANGE THE RESULT OF NEW REGULATIONS OR A REASSESSMENT OF EXISTING STANDARDS?

A: This change was not triggered by a specific new regulation or water quality incident. It arose from a review of Central Tablelands Water's Drinking Water Management System and Rural Water Supply Policy to ensure that the level of service provided to rural customers is accurately described and aligned with contemporary drinking water risk management, public health expectations and industry standards.

The review concluded that, while rural customers receive water that has undergone the same treatment processes as water supplied to towns and villages, CTW cannot consistently achieve, maintain and verify all of the operational parameters used to demonstrate drinking water compliance at every rural connection point across the network. Factors such as long transmission distances, low customer demand, water age, and, where applicable, storage infrastructure beyond CTW's direct control can affect CTW's ability to demonstrate potable water compliance at the point of use. These limitations do not occur at every rural connection but cannot be consistently demonstrated across the entire rural network.

Q: IS THE CLASSIFICATION LIKELY TO CHANGE IN THE FUTURE?

A: The current classification reflects the level of service that CTW can reasonably verify and support under existing network conditions. Council continually reviews its water supply systems through its asset management, water quality management, and long-term planning processes and will continue to investigate opportunities for improvement where practical and economically feasible.

While CTW continually assesses improvement opportunities, extensive rural systems present practical limitations. Measures such as increased chlorination or routine flushing of long trunk mains do not necessarily provide a reliable or economically sustainable means of maintaining and verifying potable water assurance at every rural connection.

However, given the challenges associated with extensive rural water supply systems, including long travel distances and low customer demand, the current rural water supply classification is expected to remain in place for the foreseeable future unless circumstances change significantly.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENT

CTW has not identified a water quality incident and continues to treat water before it enters the distribution network. The correspondence does not indicate a deterioration in water quality or a change to the treatment processes used by CTW. Rather, it reflects the outcomes of a review undertaken to ensure the level of service provided to rural customers is accurately described and aligned with contemporary drinking water management practices, which place greater emphasis on verifying water quality throughout the entire supply system, not just at the treatment plant.

Because CTW cannot consistently demonstrate potable water compliance at every rural property connection point across the network, rural supplies are classified as non-potable. The classification relates to CTW's ability to verify and demonstrate compliance at rural connection points and is intended to provide a transparent description of the level of service that can be supported under current network conditions.

Customers seeking further information can access a detailed Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document on CTW's website, or contact CTW directly to discuss their individual circumstances.

Note: The original article "When is drinkable water, not drinkable? A tough question for Central Tablelands!" is still available on our website in our digital copies of the magazine at: www.orangecitylife.com.au