The taste is terrible, pets wont drink it and plants won’t survive long with it – these are some comments from residents in a South Australian regional town over the communities’ tap water supply.

Quorn – is a 4-hour drive from Adelaide, and has been fighting the same battle for 30 years. Despite the communities’ persistent efforts, Flinders Ranges Council Mayor, Ken Anderson says Quorn’s calls for action on a desalination plant have landed on deaf ears, leaving residence to live on expensive bottled water.

Tests from SAWater give Quorn a 0 percent compliance rating for chloride, chlorine and sodium, declaring Quorn the priority community for urgent water quality improvements.

Despite the water being deemed safe to drink – recent survey results also show 97 percent of residents won’t due to its “extremely poor quality.”

The Wire contacted South Australia’s Department for Environment and Water and were told questions about water quality in Quorn should be directed to SAWater as the responsible agency.

The Wire also contacted SAWater – their full statement is available here.

Image: Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0

Produced By: Emma Wotzke

Featured In Story: Ken Anderson – Flinders Ranges Council Mayor, and

First aired on The Wire, Thursday 14th March 2024