Abstract
Access to safe drinking water is essential to human life and wellbeing, and is a key public health issue. However, many communities in rural and regional parts of Australia are unable to access drinking water that meets national standards for protecting human health. The aim of this research was to identify the key issues in and barriers to the provision and management of safe drinking water in rural Tasmania, Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key local government employees and public health officials responsible for management of drinking water in rural Tasmania. Participants were asked about their core public health duties, regulatory responsibilities, perceptions and management of risk, as well as the key barriers that may be affecting the provision of safe drinking water. This research highlights the effect of rural locality on management and safety of fresh water in protecting public health. The key issues contributing to problems with drinking water provision and quality identified by participants included: poor and inadequate water supply infrastructure; lack of resources and staffing; inadequate catchment monitoring; and the effect of competing land uses, such as forestry, on water supply quality. This research raises issues of inequity in the provision of safe drinking water in rural communities. It highlights not only the increasing need for greater funding by state and commonwealth government for basic services such as drinking water, but also the importance of an holistic and integrated approach to managing drinking water resources in rural Tasmania.
Highlights
IntroductionClean drinking water is essential to human health and wellbeing. While waterborne disease and related fatality is commonly associated with lesser developed nations[1], critical water-related outbreaks have occurred in recent years in countries such as Canada and the USA2
Access to safe drinking water is essential to human life and wellbeing, and is a key public health issue
The fundamental goal of drinking water management and provision should be the holistic protection of public health[3,4]; many populations within Australia are at risk of illness because they are unable to access safe drinking water[5]
Summary
Clean drinking water is essential to human health and wellbeing. While waterborne disease and related fatality is commonly associated with lesser developed nations[1], critical water-related outbreaks have occurred in recent years in countries such as Canada and the USA2. The fundamental goal of drinking water management and provision should be the holistic protection of public health[3,4]; many populations within Australia are at risk of illness because they are unable to access safe drinking water[5]. The Australian Department of Health and Ageing’s Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas (RRMA)[16] classification system provides a useful reference by which to define and consider the remoteness and accessibility of areas across Australia Using this classification, half of Tasmania’s 28 local government municipalities, including two island municipalities in Bass Strait, contain areas classified ‘small rural’ (a population of less than 10 000) or ‘remote’ (population of less than 5000). This requires them to regularly test their drinking water supplies for
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