The taste tests are part of a statewide water quality survey being conducted by postgraduate researcher with Macquarie University, Paul Harvey.

Mr Harvey’s research tour began last October and aims to determine the extent of contamination in drinking water in NSW and update the figures that date back to 1994. 

From an initial slow start, Mr Harvey said he is now receiving good support from the areas he visits and a picture of the water quality across NSW is slowly coming together that shows drinking water contamination is occurring very close to home.

He said preliminary research indicates excessive levels of lead and other metal contamination in NSW household drinking water, with various locations across the state found to contain up to 20 times the amount of lead recommended by the Australian Drinking Water Guideline.

“So far testing at dams and waterways are clean, however the problem seems to happen between the boundary fence and when it comes out of the tap,” Mr Harvey said.

Although the research is still in the collecting and testing stage, he said plumbing infrastructure such as copper pipes, brass and lead taps and fittings and the roof catchment area for rainwater tank supplies are suspected of causing the contamination. 

“We have detected lead, copper and magnesium levels that aren’t present at the source water supply,” Mr Harvey said.

He recently collected 55 water samples from rural and residential Narrabri and Wee Waa residents for testing with results expected by the end of September.