SA Water

In reply to Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (30 July 2019). (Estimates Committee B)

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Minister for Environment and Water): I have been advised:

SA Water and SA Health undertake a collaborative and largely preventative approach to assuring the safety of the drinking water supply.

I am advised that this includes SA Health's notifiable diseases program, which includes potentially waterborne pathogens such as Cryptosporidium. Any increases of disease rates within the community are investigated for their origin, including drinking water. SA Health would immediately notify SA Water of any detection of diseases with potential links to drinking water and further investigations would proceed.

Furthermore, I am advised that SA Water's extensive routine water quality monitoring program is also designed to test for specific pathogens which can cause illness, as well as other indicators of contamination. SA Water reports any detections to SA Health in-line with agreed incident protocols and timeframes.