Council general manager Brett Stonestreet said “some residents may have noticed the water tastes slightly different and this is primarily due to having to access water from both Yenda and Lake Wyangan”. 

Mr Stonestreet stressed the water is safe to drink, as regular monitoring ensures that the stringent Australian Drinking Water Guidelines are met. He added testing regimes have been increased during this period as an additional measure to ensure water quality.

South Lake Wyangan is currently subject to an amber alert for the presence of blue-green algae, though the MI website says this does not prevent normal domestic water use. 

The Area News understands Lake Wyangan water is “shandied”, or mixed with higher quality water, and then treated again to ensure it is safe.  

NSW Waters works at Berembed Weir has meant the MI network has had no access to river water since early June with only water contained in the MI network available for town supply

“As a result of the dry winter, town water use in the Griffith area has been significantly higher than expected, and this is putting pressure on supply,” Mr Stonestreet added. 

He called for local residents to limit, and avoid unnecessary use of water over the next few weeks to protect the remaining supply.

MI advises Water NSW and MI works will be complete by early August. 

Murrumbidgee Council has also advised Darlington Point water is safe to drink, and chlorine will continue to be added to the town’s water supply until further notice.

A press release stated a rigorous water quality program is being carried out, with daily testing carried out by Council and weekly tests by an independent testing laboratory. 

Some 62 per cent of respondents to The Area News  poll say their tap water is undrinkable and they have to buy, boil or filter. A further 23 per cent said it was unpleasant but drinkable, with only 15 per cent saying is was good or average.