Logan water issues: Residents pay hundreds for bottles, filters

Logan residents are spending hundreds of dollars a week on water filters and bottled water after a sudden change to the odour and taste of their tap water.

Anna Zamofing with huskies Xena (left) and Maya. Picture: Adam Head

Logan residents are spending hundreds of dollars a week on water filters and bottled water after a sudden change to the odour and taste of their tap water just before Christmas.

And they say they should be entitled to reimbursement.

Authorities maintain the water is safe to drink despite the “earthy, grassy” change, brought about by high levels of organic compounds geosmin and methylisoborneol after recent wet weather.

But dozens of residents say they are experiencing side effects such as migraines and gastro-like symptoms.

Caity Knight said her taste-sensitive son refused to drink the water and was showing symptoms of dehydration until she got bottled water.

“He has skin irritation and rashes from it. My son dislikes the smell of the water that much he refuses baths, as you can smell the earthy smell in the bath,” she said.

Felicia Egan has spent $100 on bottled water almost every week and struggled with physical side effects before switching to filtered water.

“I have had pains in the stomach, headaches and diarrhoea,” she said. “Washing clothes smells like water that has been sitting.”

Donski Greene has struggled to find bottled water.

“Everyone else is buying water and I have to go shop to shop to stock up,” she said.

“It’s ridiculous.”

Ms Greene believes residents should be given an allocation of bottled water each day until the quality improves.

Anna Zamofing was forced to take the family dog Maya to the vet after the husky showed signs of illness when exposed to water at a dog park.

“At home we give them filtered water; the only time they drink water that is not filtered is at the dog park,” she said.

Logan Mayor Jon Raven

“We noticed she was off her food and not herself. A few days later she started vomiting and had diarrhoea. We rushed her to the vet, put her on antibiotics then my other husky started...

“It really hit her hard, for her to poop out blood clots and lose 1.4kg in a matter of four or five days.

“It’s just unbelievable.”

It was only after Maya was given antibiotics that Mrs Zamofing made the connection between the diarrhoea and vomiting her neighbours were complaining of, and Maya’s sudden illness.

“We drink the filtered water but had to spend $110 for a new filter as well,” she said.

“The water was so bad going through our old filter that it turned it green.

“We need some reimbursement, that’s for sure.”

Council did not directly address claims for reimbursement.

Mayor Jon Raven said council had been advised the issue would be resolved in a few days, but it had taken weeks and was now even worse in some places.

“Seqwater has said the water is safe to drink and complies with the Australian drinking water guidelines, but many residents are reporting health issues...” he said.

“For those residents who have been unwell... your concerns have been heard and I have made sure (Water Minister Ann Leahy) is aware of your situation.

“The good news is Logan Water testing has shown dramatic reduction in MIB/geosmin levels over the last week.”

Seqwater said the water remained safe to drink and was beginning to return to normal.

“These compounds are filtered out through the water treatment process, but sometimes it can temporarily affect the taste and may smell earthy or grassy directly from the tap,” it said in a statement.

“People who are particularly sensitive to taste may notice this, and during this time we recommend cooling the water may help reduce any earthy taste in the tap water.”

Residents with any further questions or concerns regarding their tap water should contact their service provider, Logan City Council, on 3412 3412. Any residents experiencing health issues should contact their doctor or Queensland Health on 13HEALTH for advice

The residents are serviced by the Mt Crosby water treatment plant.

Originally published as Logan water issues: Residents pay hundreds for bottles, filters