Walgett's new Acting General Manager has all but dismissed concerns over the town's drinking water – saying sodium levels are within the acceptable range.

Hugh Percy's comments to the Western Plains App follow a new report by University of NSW academics, the Dharriwaa Elders Group and Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service, with The George Institute for Global Health, has found that the vast majority of Walgett community members surveyed were worried about water quality.

The report found the subjective views about the drinkable water for the town's predominantly Aboriginal community are comparable to that of underdeveloped countries and cities, including Dhaka in Bangladesh, Beirut in Lebanon, and Guatemala in Central America.

Walgett has been living on bore water for roughly five years.

Virginia Robinson, secretary of the Dharriwaa Elders Group, said, "These threats to our public health would not be tolerated in Sydney so why is it acceptable that we have to live with it in Walgett?," she said.

One of the major concerns is sodium levels.

Professor Greg Leslie, director of the UNSW Global Water Institute, said the sodium level of the bore water was up to 300 mg/litre, which was 15 times higher than the 20 mg/litre level recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council for people with chronic health conditions such as hypertension, heart disease or kidney problems.

His colleague Associate Professor Martin Andersen from the Water Research Lab at UNSW told ABC TV's 730 program that "For a normal healthy person, it's probably ok to drink (the bore water in Walgett). But if you have a pre-existing medical condition such as high blood pressure or kidney failure or things like that, then you shouldn't be drinking water with those salt levels".

Image: Walgett Shire Council.

Australian Drinking Water Guidelines state that water should have less than 500 milligrams per litre (mg/L) of sodium for people without health conditions. However, the guidelines do not regard salinity as a health consideration, rather they are based on taste.

Health experts recommend People on low-sodium diets drink water with less than 20mg of sodium per litre. 

Percy told the Western Plains App the council is re-testing the water.

He said the salt levels in Walgett water are in the "upper range" of recommendations but at acceptable levels for most people.

"This is reflecting poorly on the town, and it shouldn't because it isn't a problem."

In 2018, the University of Western Sydney obtained sodium data that showed water from Darwin, Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, and Hobart have less than 20 mg.

Barwon River near Walgett IMAGE: Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment & Water

Meanwhile, the NSW Irrigators' Council (NSWIC) is calling for the Government to secure "safe drinking water supplies for rural and remote communities" before the next drought sets in. 

"Safe and secure town drinking water was a top priority in our NSW State Election platform," said NSWIC CEO Claire Miller.

"It's a basic human right and part of Australia's commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The fact we are so far behind is concerning. The situation is solvable; it's just a matter of priorities," she said.

"The simplistic 'just take water from farmers' solution doesn't help towns during droughts when irrigators are not allocated any water. Towns and rivers already receive top priority underwater sharing frameworks to ensure they continue receiving water long after irrigators are cut off."