After some weeks of going between different water sources - and confusion within Walgett over where its water was coming from Walgett Shire Council has confirmed that the township is now only using "improved" river water after a long and complex process. 

On May 3, the Office of the Minister for Water, along with Walgett Shire Council, announced they would switch the town's water source from bore water to river water following a UNSW and Dharriwaa Elders Group report which showed high sodium levels coming from the town's water supply. 

Minister Jackson said this would be a "short-term" solution to the town's water supply issues until the state government decides what further action it should take. 

The switch to river water began on May 3 but up until May 17 the water was still coming from a mixture of both bore and river water. 

"There were some issues in getting a consistent water flow from the river, but since May 17, all the town's water is no longer bore water. It is river water" a spokesperson from Minister Jackson's office told the Western Plains App. 

In a statement, Sydney Water said, "Last week, our water teams helped the town of Walgett get their Water Treatment Plant back up and running. Our mobile response team set up during the recent floods, responded and, in 3 days, had the water supply back for the town."

"It's been a huge team effort across government, including the Department of Environment and Water, and Walgett Shire Council". 

Testing and monitoring has been a key part of the new water treatment process. IMAGE SUPPLIED.

Walgett Shire Council released a notice on 24 May to advise that the new water source was "now on tap."

"Residents will have noticed that the taste and feel of their water has improved," said Acting General Manager Hugh Percy.

"The town water supply is currently being sourced from the Namoi River with the treatment plant producing good quality water.

"Switching the supply from bore to river water was always going to take time to perfect because it is the first time since 2020 that the town has relied on the more complex treatment process," Mr Percy said.

"The plant also required some minor upgrades to make it easier for operators to make the transition to river water."

Council acknowledged the on-site support from staff of the Department of Planning & Environment and Sydney Water who tested and monitored the water over a few weeks, as well as supporting Council's own staff to stabilise all systems.

"We have also recently engaged new water operations staff who are being trained on how to operate the more complex treatment process that is required for river water," Mr Percy said.

"Unfortunately, there is no quick fix when it comes to sorting out complex systems like water treatment plants but we thank the Walgett community for their patience and understanding. 

Ongoing supply questioned

Meanwhile, Dharriwaa Elders Group said they would be installing a reverse osmosis machine in the main street to provide free chilled and filtered water for locals as it is concerned that the river may dry up later in the year due to what it calls "over-extraction by irrigators" upstream of Walgett. 

Dharriwaa Elders Group General Manager Wendy Spencer told the Western Plains App the group is in the process of installing a water kiosk with a bespoke reverse osmosis design. The kiosk has been in planning for two years, and the group is still awaiting some parts before it can launch the machine. 

She said she was happy that Minister Jackson had brought people out from Sydney Water to ensure the changeover to river water occurred. 

"We really hope this is a long-term arrangement," Spencer said. 

"While it's good that we are sourcing the water from the river, locals know that that's not a long-term solution because the river will run dry in the next two to three months. Unless big changes are made to the over-irrigation in the northern Murray darling basin".