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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-10-31 Daily Xml
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WATER LEAD LEVELS

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (15:31): My question is to the Minister for Water and the River Murray. What action has the minister taken to notify residents of the towns of Manna Hill, Olary, Oodla Wirra and Yunta whose water lead levels have exceeded the safety guidelines for over two years? I remind the house that the minister did say he told the Department for Health but he did not say he told the residents who receive the water.

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:31): I did talk about the cost of providing a higher level of water supply and they are quite simply at this point in time deemed to be financially unjustifiable. Notwithstanding that, SA Water has recently considered a number of issues for the management of—

Mr van Holst Pellekaan interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: Well, it is non-potable supply. The idea is 'don't drink it'.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: That's right. Don't drink it.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: That's right; exactly. That's my point.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: Thank you, thank you. So, there have been lots of options considered in relation to maintaining the systems that exist today to improve drinking water standards, the carting of water, of course, the disposal of the systems, and a whole lot of issues to look at the future of those towns with respect to their water supplies.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: Well, you can't do—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: You can't do much more than advise people that these are non-potable supplies of water. 'Non-potable' means that they shouldn't be drunk, if that is the right word. They should not be consumed.

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