Residents face ‘undrinkable’ water during upgrade works

Odd smells and strange tastes have been plaguing Bundaberg residents, as they struggle to stomach ‘undrinkable’ tap water.

Residents have shared their woes online, saying foul water has lead to the expensive installtion of water filter systems.

Bundaberg residents say their tap water is “undrinkable” with strange tastes and strong smells as the council races to fix the issue.

Many have taken to social media to with a strong odour of chlorine from taps being reported.

“Water taste like chlorine in bundy west even smells like it,” one resident shared on Facebook.

One resident said the water at their workplace had become “undrinkable”.

Bundaberg Regional Council said it was aware of the concerns raised about water quality.

“Council is in the final stages of an upgrade at the Kalkie Water Treatment Plant which will improve taste and odour issues currently being experienced by residents in the Kalkie area,” a council spokesman said.

The council said a number of issues have contributed to the problem, from recent high rainfall rates to high humidity.

“Although council’s treatment processes are optimised to manage these issues, some change in taste and smell may be noticeable,” a council spokesman said.

The council assured residents the water was safe to drink, and “continually monitored and tested to meet the health requirements”.

The council have since offered an official comment on the matter and said “our water complies with Drinking Water Quality Standards.”

“If residents have concerns they are encouraged to call Council.”

The council website recommended chilling water in the fridge for a few hours or adding lemon juice to help reduce the chlorine taste.

The upgrade was announced in 2019, with works beginning in 2020.

The issues comes as residents face another foul issue, a mysterious smell of human faeces wafting through the town’s air, an issue council hasn’t yet been able to directly resolve.