State waits on tap tests
Don’t panic over bubblers, councils told
VICTORIAN councils are waiting to find out how lead leached into Geelong’s water fountains before deciding to launch their own testing programs.
It was revealed this week that 80 of Greater Geelong’s 140 public bubble taps have left users exposed to relatively high levels of lead.
The affected taps have been switched off and tags are being placed on all those fountains that have failed industry standards.
The widespread lead leaching, which has been discovered in more than 20 suburbs, has sparked fears that other areas of the state may also have similar issues.
But Victoria’s chief health officer, Professor Charles Guest, has advised councils to wait until the cause of the lead exposure was confirmed.
“(The health department) does not consider it necessary for other local government areas to undertake testing of water from public drinking fountains at this time, as the root cause of this issue is still being investigated,” he said in a memo to all councils.
“Once the results of the Geelong investigation are available, we will ensure that all the relevant state government departments and agencies are informed of the outcome.”
Prof Guest said evidence showed the issue was related to plumbing fittings in the fountains, particularly where water sits in the pipes for extended periods of time. The City of Greater Geelong is working with experts from multiple government departments to try and confirm the exact cause.
The inquiry comes as a national probe into potential sources of lead in plumbing sources continues.
The Australian Building Codes Board commissioned the research after a long-running lead contamination saga stalled the opening of a children’s hospital in Perth.
The $1.2 billion hospital opened a fortnight ago, after three years of delays.
Among the issues being investigated is the effect of water chemistry, quality and temperature on plumbing products and materials.
The wider water supply in the Geelong region is completely safe to drink.