"FRINGE" Rankins Springs residents have vowed to petition Carrathool Shire to drop the price of grimy water being delivered to their properties.
Russell Mitchell and John Buchanan highlighted the issue of dirty water in the town two weeks ago in The Area News, revealing filthy water samples taken from household taps.
In response, council representatives held a community meeting in Rankins Springs this week.
While residents were assured investigations were being made into improving water quality, with hopes of installing a filtration system in future, Mr Mitchell said he would still call for a reduction in delivery fees.
His property is only two kilometres from the town centre but is classed "rural" for council purposes.
"Those of us out here on the fringe of Rankins Springs will never get clean water because it's above where they want to put a filtration system," Mr Mitchell said.
"Some of us pay a ridiculous amount for our water so we will get together and present a petition to council asking them to stop rating us on the equivalent to 100,000 acres.
"I've got 20 acres and I get charged as if I'm living on a station."
Mr Mitchell and others on the "wrong side" of the town boundary are charged $1000 per year for access to water plus $1.35 per kilolitre used.
More than 30 locals attended the two-hour meeting on Monday night, where council's director of works, Stephen Joyce, gave an overview of the work being undertaken on the current water delivery system as well as investigations into an improved system.
Mr Joyce explained providing potable water to Rankins Springs would be a long-term project that would require external funding, but that council was committed to improving the situation any way it could.
He was resolute, however, that the fringe residents would be excluded from that access and would continue to be charged higher rates.
"Realistically, a line has to be drawn, labelling one part as the township and the rest as small and large rural holdings," Mr Joyce said.
"It is a very hard thing to do. We had one lady who lives right next door to that line and she gets charged almost twice as much as someone in town.
"There's always going to be someone outside the line and if we move it for one person, we're going to have to keep moving it for others."
Mr Joyce said council would continue to monitor the quality of water flowing into Rankins Springs and look at alternatives to provide a cleaner product.
"We've had a lot of organisations call up and say they have a solution for us," he said.
"We will sit and go through all of those and consider everything that may improve this situation."