A combination of unseasonably dry weather and the canal’s $15 million refurbishment has seen the city tap into unplanned caches of drinking water at Yenda and Lake Wyangan to keep the city hydrated.

Citrus growers were expected to be among the worst affected by an 18-week upgrade, but MI’s general manager of operations Alan Shea said back in in April he was hoping there would be enough supply to help growers survive the period.

“At this stage there are no planned water restrictions, but we encourage all residents to help our farmers by being careful with their water ... water not needed to support town supply can then be redirected to critical crop needs in the event of a dry winter.”

Fast forward two months, and residents rely on second-rate water for consumption, and Griffith City Council (GCC) and Murrumbidgee Irrigation face an imperfect scenario where keeping fruit orchids alive has likely fallen down the list of priorities.

The unusual taste noticed by residents points towards bad-quality water – like the dregs in a beer – which is often the case when using dwindling water supplies.

However GCC general manager Brett Stonestreet stressed the water is safe to drink and up to Australian standards, when asked by The Area News. 

He also added testing regimes have been increased as an additional measure to ensure water quality.

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The canal refurbishment is due to be completed in the coming weeks, and a reliable water supply will soon return.

But many residents will be asking the question – why weren’t we told about the situation?

Lake Wyangan South currently has an amber Blue Green Algae alert, which means algae may be multiplying in numbers, but it does not restrict domestic use.

But it should be made clear – bad quality water doesn’t necessarily mean deadly water.

Many with the information will remain happy to trust council’s shandy process and treatment operations, even despite the taste.

But there’s certainly others who’d steer clear if offered the information they were drinking water from Lake Wyangan – safe or not.

Until then, let’s pray for rain.