WATER Minister Don Punch says Water Corporation will pay for six Chidlow residents’ pumps and water tanks, but Wooroloo’s non-standard water service means residents are obligated to manage their own water access.

The water supply issue in the Perth Hills was brought to parliament on May 22, with Kalamunda MLA Adam Hort raising the grievance.

Chidlow residents who relied on the Goldfields trunkline have reported frequent outages, particularly between 4pm and 10pm, leaving homes without basic necessities like bathing, toilet use, or even a glass of water.

In response, Mr Punch said while Wooroloo and Chidlow were experiencing similar issues with water pressure, they had different causes and meant Water Corporation had different obligations.

He said while Chidlow drew off the Mundaring-Kalgoorlie pipeline, Wooroloo had never been connected to the town water supply system and was not part of the regulated water supply for that area.

“For a variety of reasons some customers cannot be supplied with water at the pressure that is required or may have water quality issues or other substandard components to the water supply – that is why it is a non-standard water service,’’ he said.

“In essence, it enables people to access what water might be available from Water Corp infrastructure without the obligation on Water Corp to provide that at the standard within a regulated water supply service area.”

“I was part of one of those schemes in the past and it was very useful to be able to tap into a Water Corp main that ran from a dam but to accept responsibility that I had to hold that water in my tank and pump it out into my house.”

Perth Hills water crisis group member Roberta Selleck said the minister’s statement about Wooroloo’s non-standard water service status remained a contentious issue.

“Water Corporation has only applied the non-standard water service agreements to many of the properties, after the repeated failure of the Werribee Road pipeline,” she said.

“Communication from Water Corp on May 13 stated a number of solutions had been explored, but ultimately none are feasible as the funding criteria used by Water Corp is based on population density which disadvantages hills communities.’’

Mr Punch said while the Mundaring-Kalgoorlie pipeline was a complex system to manage, the impact on Chidlow residents was noted and Water Corporation have done tests that indicated pressure drops did exceed what was acceptable in some areas.

“I am advised that in January, Water Corp installed a water tank and pump system for the most affected resident to see whether that improved the situation, and it did,” he said.

Six Chidlow properties have been confirmed to receive the same solution and Water Corporation will cover the cost but they will have to enter into a non-standard water service agreement as part of the deal.

“The solution at this stage for the residents of Chidlow, who are clearly receiving a service that is not in accordance with the water services licence, is that Water Corp will meet the cost of providing those tanks and pressure pumps,” Mr Punch said.

“It is in direct negotiations with affected customers.”

Mr Punch said a new main reticulation pipeline had been provided to account for expanding development in the Chidlow area.

New developments had been a concern for Chidlow residents who anticipated an exacerbation of pressure problems as more new homes tapped into the supply line, as reported in Water Corporation responds to Chidlow complaints (Echo News, February 6).

“I certainly have not received any advice from the developers about pressure issues within that development area, but I am sure it is something Water Corp will take up if it is made aware of it being an issue,” Mr Punch said.

Mrs Selleck said while it was welcome relief to a handful of residents with significant water supply issues in Chidlow, it did not alleviate those who were still experiencing water pressure issues.

“We welcome an interim solution but continue to seek a holistic community solution which we raised with the minister on May 15, so it resolves all the water pressure and supply issues,” she said.

“This was not addressed by the minister.”

The crisis group is now calling for a reliable and future-proof solution that does not depend on vulnerable trunklines, consistent water pressure in Wooroloo and surrounds, replacement of degraded infrastructure and a return to standard water agreements for all affected households.

“Wooroloo residents have basically been told nothing will be done,” Mrs Selleck said.

Mr Hort said getting the water tanks and pumps  was a win for the community but not the finish line.

“We have proven that when communities speak up and persist, they can hold government to account,” he said.

“Now we need lasting and fair water security for every family.”