Water tastes like Dettol

At the beginning of the year Sydney Water was accused of covering up the real cause of a surge of contaminated drinking water that was pumped into hundreds of homes, causing serious symptoms including vomiting and dizziness.

The scare – which included reports of the water smelling like gas or petrol and people experiencing numbness in the mouth after drinking it – has sparked calls for an immediate investigation into what NSW authorities know about the incident.

The pollution scare affected homes in 85 streets stretching from Botany, Pagewood and Rosebery to Eastlakes. There were about 100 complaints and a health warning was issued for residents not to drink the water.

Residents reported numbness and a burning feeling in the mouth, nausea and vomiting. It tasted like Dettol and smelled like gas and made my mouth go numb until the next day, a resident said.

Sydney Water’s explanation that the problems were caused by bitumen getting into water pipes during routine maintenance has since been discredited by a number of scientists. Sydney Water has also admitted it did not test the water for gas.

Some residents were throwing up, some had the same tingling and burning sensation, and some had upset stomachs, she said

She took her own sample and had it analysed by an independent laboratory, which found chloroform and bromide – which could explain the numbness people reported.

Sydney Water’s explanation that the problems were caused by bitumen getting into water pipes during routine maintenance has since been discredited by a number of scientists. Sydney Water has also admitted it did not test the water for gas.

Dr Ian Wright said that Sydney Water did not share the information in an open and timely manner.

Despite 100 complaints about the water, Sydney Water told Fairfax Media it had taken only four samples in the affected area.

But Sydney Water has said its employee bungled the sample taking, and so no results were available. The only official results have been from a sample taken the day after the pollution incident. No one was given any results from samples taken at the height of the contamination.

The Sydney Water spokeswoman said they do not have an explanation for the reactions to the water but said: ”NSW Health advised that short-term exposure, including showering and drinking a glass of water, is not a risk to health.”

Even though they had no explanation for the contamination, what it was or the possible health risks from exposure.

Is it a risk worth taking? Filter your tap water and make sure your health and the health of your family is protected.