2012/14 + 2023: Wangkatjungka (Western Australia). E.coli, Naegleria Species

Wangkatjungka Community sounds alarm over water quality

Giovanni Torre
https://nit.com.au/23-10-2023/8274/wangkatjungka-community-sounds-alarm-over-water-quality

Residents of Wangkatjungka community, 130km south-east of Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia’s Kimberley region, have taken to social media to raise concerns about the quality of the drinking water in the area.

An image shared earlier this month by one resident showed a bowl of light brown tap water containing sediments.

Vanessa Smith wrote: “This is what people are drinking out in Wangkatjungka.”

“Just filled this plate from my kitchen sink and this is dirt. I had to put it on social media just to get attention to whoever got any concerns. This is not good at all due to health wise,” she said.

“This has been happening for a very, very long time in this community, something needs to be done ASAP. I think the whole community water pipes need upgrades.

“Time to buy water from the shop. Can’t trust what’s in this water now.”

Last Wednesday Water Corporation issued a precautionary boil water alert in Wangkatjungka “following unauthorised entry to a water tank”.

A spokesperson for the Water Corporation told National Indigenous Times that while work was underway to address the matter the community needed to boil and then cool all water for drinking, washing dishes, brushing teeth and food preparation until it could be confirmed to be safe. The alert was lifted on Saturday, 21 October.

The spokesperson said that “with the exception of any temporary boil water alerts”, such as that issued on 18 October, “the drinking water in Wangkatjungka is safe to drink”.

“This temporary discolouration in the supply was caused by traces of naturally-occurring iron, not dirt, in the local groundwater source, as is commonly found in groundwater across WA. The iron can make its way into pipes and settle, sometimes making the water look discoloured, but it is harmless and the water is safe to use,” they said.

“Discoloured water events can happen at any time but are often the result of a change in the water pipes, such as a sudden increase in the rate or direction of water flow, that can stir up this naturally-occurring sediment, causing it to become suspended in the water.

“On this occasion, work undertaken on the Wangkatjungka supply scheme on 10 October 2023 required water to be flushed through the pipe network, resulting in this temporary discolouration. Temporary discolouration in the community is also associated with regular flushing to proactively prevent the build-up of iron in the pipes. Running a tap for two minutes can help clear any discolouration caused by this routine maintenance.”

Water Corporation assumed responsibility on 1 July this year for the delivery of water and wastewater services to Wangkatjungka and 140 other Aboriginal communities. It had previously been the responsibility of the Department of Communities.

Representatives from the Corporation have met the Wangkatjungka Community Council chief executive and have begun working to identify potential options to improve the community’s long-term water supply.

The Water Corporation said that it will work in partnership with communities to conduct “a comprehensive assessment of the local supply scheme” to better understand their individual requirements, as part of “a detailed planning and design process”.

The Water Corporation’s new Aboriginal Communities Water Services (ACWS) program will conduct the work to “provide safer and more reliable drinking water and wastewater services, helping enhance long-term health and wellbeing outcomes”.

In September, Mowanjum, near Derby, became the first community in WA to receive improved water infrastructure under ACWS following completion of upgrades to its wastewater treatment plant, becoming the state’s first licensed plant in an Aboriginal community.

Wangkatjungka (Western Australia) – E.coli

E.coli:

2 tests above ADWG Guideline 2012-2014

“E.coli

Thermotolerant coliforms are a sub-group of coliforms that are able to grow at 44.5 ± 0.2°C. E. coli is the most common thermotolerant coliform present in faeces and is regarded as the most specific indicator of recent faecal contamination because generally it is not capable of growth in the environment. In contrast, some other thermotolerant coliforms (including strains of Klebsiella, Citrobacter and Enterobacter) are able to grow in the environment and their presence is not necessarily related to faecal contamination. While tests for thermotolerant coliforms can be simpler than for E. coli, E. coli is considered a superior indicator for detecting faecal contamination…” ADWG

Wangkatjungka (Western Australia) – Naegleria Species

Naegleria Species:

1 test above ADWG Guideline 2012-2014

“GUIDELINE No guideline value is set for Naegleria fowleri in drinking water, but an ‘action level’ is recommended for water supplies likely to be contaminated. If the organism is detected, advice should be sought from the relevant health authority.

Naegleria fowleri is a free-living, thermophilic amoeboflagellate which causes the waterborne disease primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). This rare but fatal condition has followed use of water for swimming, or domestic bathing. The organism occurs naturally in freshwater of suitable temperature, feeding on bacteria. Its occurrence is only indirectly related to human activity, inasmuch as such activity may modify temperatures or promote bacterial production. PAM has been reported from many countries, usually associated with thermally polluted environments, geothermal water or heated swimming pools. N. fowleri is almost exclusively aquatic, and water is the only known source of infection. Numerous nonvirulent Naegleria species are known in Australia.

PAM cases have been recorded from South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales; Naegleria fowleri has been detected in water in each of these states and in the Northern Territory. Australia is the only country where N. fowleri has been detected in public water supplies (Dorsch et al. 1983). Most of the available data on the density of N. fowleri in water relates to water supplies in South Australia (including the highest reported densities). In temperate Australia, significant seasonal cycles of density occur, from below one organism per litre to hundreds or thousands per litre in poorly disinfected water (Robinson and Christy 1984). N. fowleri detected at water temperatures below 18°C is likely to be present as cysts, which are not infectious, but which may seed a suitable environment.” Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2011.