❓ Question on Notice regarding drinking water quality in remote Aboriginal communities in WA between 2018-2023, specifically the Ngaanyatjarra Lands, focusing on testing, reporting, and potential radiation contamination. The Minister's response indicates a transfer of responsibility and that the Department of Health receives consolidated reports, not individual lab reports, and that no radiation above guideline levels has been detected.
AnsweredQoN 871Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Minister’s answers to question on
notice 2173, asked on 12 September 2024, and question on notice 97, asked on 29 April 2025, and I ask: (a) please confirm that
during the years 2018-2023, that although the testing of drinking water in Remote
Aboriginal Communities in Western Australia (WA) was overseen by the Department of Communities,
copies of all laboratory monthly microbiological, examination reports, 3-monthly
nitrate reports, 6-monthly chemical analyses reports and bi-annual radiological
reports were provided to the Western
Australian Department of Health’s Environmental Health Directorate as the
ultimate responsible State Government Department for drinking water safety in
WA; (b) during the years 2018-2023, what other analytical laboratories besides ARL/Eurofins provided analytical
laboratory services for the testing of drinking water samples from remote
Aboriginal communities in Western Australia including the Ngaanyatjarra Lands and
the reporting of the results (i.e. the monthly microbiological examinations
reports, the 3-monthly nitrate analysis reports, the 6-monthly chemical
analysis reports and the radiochemical analyses reports) to the Department of
Communities so that the Annual Reports could be written; (c) during the years 2018-2023, who else besides WSP, an international engineering organisation with over
65,000 employees worldwide with its head office based in the United Kingdom,
prepared the annual reports on drinking water quality in remote Aboriginal
communities in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands in Western Australia; (d) during the years
2018-2023, who else besides ARL/Eurofins provided the individual analytical laboratory
reports (i.e. the monthly microbiological examinations reports, the 3-monthly
nitrate analysis reports, the 6-monthly chemical analysis reports and the
radiochemical analyses reports) to WSP and others so that the Annual Reports
could be written; (e) who provided the
Department of Health’s Environmental Health Directorate of Western Australia
with copies of the monthly microbiological examination reports, the 3-monthly
nitrate analysis reports, the 6-monthly chemical analysis reports and the
radiochemical analyses reports; (f) will the Minister table or provide suitable access to
copies of the Annual Drinking Water Reports relating to drinking water safety
in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands during the years 2018 to 2023, written by WSP and
others; (g) if no to (f),
why not; (h) will the Minister table or provide suitable access to copies of ARL’s/Eurofins' or other laboratory service providers, i.e. of the approximate 594 monthly
microbiological examination reports, the approximate 216 tri-monthly nitrate analysis
reports, the approximate 108 chemical analysis reports, and the approximate 9-18 annual/biannual
radiochemical analysis reports on drinking water supplies sourced from the nine Remote Aboriginal Communities in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands during the years 2018
to 2023; (i) if no to (h), why not; (j) has any radiation been detected in previous annual water quality reports for the Ngaanyatjarra lands (e.g. Warakurna); (k) if yes to (j), please provide details on the instances of radiation detection and levels; and (l) if yes to (j), what remedial action has been taken?
notice 2173, asked on 12 September 2024, and question on notice 97, asked on 29 April 2025, and I ask: (a) please confirm that
during the years 2018-2023, that although the testing of drinking water in Remote
Aboriginal Communities in Western Australia (WA) was overseen by the Department of Communities,
copies of all laboratory monthly microbiological, examination reports, 3-monthly
nitrate reports, 6-monthly chemical analyses reports and bi-annual radiological
reports were provided to the Western
Australian Department of Health’s Environmental Health Directorate as the
ultimate responsible State Government Department for drinking water safety in
WA; (b) during the years 2018-2023, what other analytical laboratories besides ARL/Eurofins provided analytical
laboratory services for the testing of drinking water samples from remote
Aboriginal communities in Western Australia including the Ngaanyatjarra Lands and
the reporting of the results (i.e. the monthly microbiological examinations
reports, the 3-monthly nitrate analysis reports, the 6-monthly chemical
analysis reports and the radiochemical analyses reports) to the Department of
Communities so that the Annual Reports could be written; (c) during the years 2018-2023, who else besides WSP, an international engineering organisation with over
65,000 employees worldwide with its head office based in the United Kingdom,
prepared the annual reports on drinking water quality in remote Aboriginal
communities in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands in Western Australia; (d) during the years
2018-2023, who else besides ARL/Eurofins provided the individual analytical laboratory
reports (i.e. the monthly microbiological examinations reports, the 3-monthly
nitrate analysis reports, the 6-monthly chemical analysis reports and the
radiochemical analyses reports) to WSP and others so that the Annual Reports
could be written; (e) who provided the
Department of Health’s Environmental Health Directorate of Western Australia
with copies of the monthly microbiological examination reports, the 3-monthly
nitrate analysis reports, the 6-monthly chemical analysis reports and the
radiochemical analyses reports; (f) will the Minister table or provide suitable access to
copies of the Annual Drinking Water Reports relating to drinking water safety
in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands during the years 2018 to 2023, written by WSP and
others; (g) if no to (f),
why not; (h) will the Minister table or provide suitable access to copies of ARL’s/Eurofins' or other laboratory service providers, i.e. of the approximate 594 monthly
microbiological examination reports, the approximate 216 tri-monthly nitrate analysis
reports, the approximate 108 chemical analysis reports, and the approximate 9-18 annual/biannual
radiochemical analysis reports on drinking water supplies sourced from the nine Remote Aboriginal Communities in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands during the years 2018
to 2023; (i) if no to (h), why not; (j) has any radiation been detected in previous annual water quality reports for the Ngaanyatjarra lands (e.g. Warakurna); (k) if yes to (j), please provide details on the instances of radiation detection and levels; and (l) if yes to (j), what remedial action has been taken?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
11 December 2025
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health
Response time
8 days
(a-l)
The provision of water services in remote aboriginal communities transferred from the Department of Communities to the Water Corporation on 1 July 2023.
The Department of Health did not receive the specific laboratory reports as specified in this Question as analytical reports are sent directly to the sampling agency. The sampling agency (now the Water Corporation) then consolidates the results and presents this information to the Department of Health as the regulator on a monthly and quarterly basis.
Although the Department of Health does not have the reports specified in this question, other water quality monitoring results received during the specified time have not detected radiation above the guideline level set out in the ‘Australian Drinking Water Guidelines’ for the Ngaanyatjarra lands, including Warakurna.
The provision of water services in remote aboriginal communities transferred from the Department of Communities to the Water Corporation on 1 July 2023.
The Department of Health did not receive the specific laboratory reports as specified in this Question as analytical reports are sent directly to the sampling agency. The sampling agency (now the Water Corporation) then consolidates the results and presents this information to the Department of Health as the regulator on a monthly and quarterly basis.
Although the Department of Health does not have the reports specified in this question, other water quality monitoring results received during the specified time have not detected radiation above the guideline level set out in the ‘Australian Drinking Water Guidelines’ for the Ngaanyatjarra lands, including Warakurna.
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