The real reason millions of Aussies have suddenly discovered their tap water is ‘undrinkable’ – and how local councils are working to fix it

Millions of frustrated Aussies have finally found out the real reason their tap water has suddenly become ‘undrinkable’ – and it’s down to the recent wet weather. 

Queenslanders across several regions, including the densely populated Brisbane, Ipswich and Logan areas, have all complained about the taste, smell and colour of their water over the past week. 

South East Queensland Water, also known as Seqwater, issued a notice on Tuesday advising residents that the issue has been caused by naturally occurring compounds known as Methylisoborneol (MIB). 

The material, which was detected in the Mount Crosby Water Treatment Plant, has formed due to heavy rainfall and hot weather conditions across parts of the Sunshine State.

‘Customers should begin to notice the taste and odour of their tap water beginning to return to normal over the coming days,’ the notice read.

‘We can assure residents the treated water supplied from Mount Crosby Water Treatment Plant remains safe to drink and use as normal.

‘These compounds are filtered out through the water treatment process, but sometimes, it can temporarily affect the taste and may smell earthy or grassy directly from the tap.’

Councils have been scrambling to find a solution to ensure the residents have access to enough water over the steamy summer period.

Logan mayor John Raven said the capacity of the water at the local desalination plant had been increased to help meet the demand.

‘In response to concerns raised by residents all over the region, they (South East Queensland Water) have now increased the desalination plant output to full, and have lowered production from the Mt Crosby Water Treatment plant to dilute the water,’ he said. 

‘This will mean you should notice a change in flavour and odour soon – however, it may get worse as it gets better in some parts of the network as the earthy tasting water is pushed through the network.’

Several residents took to social media to vent their frustration over the issue and revealed they had turned to consuming bottled water instead. 

‘Don’t care what you say, Seqwater, doesn’t seem safe to drink if my nose and taste buds are telling me otherwise,’ one person wrote. 

The material, which was detected in the Mount Crosby Water Treatment Plant, has formed due to heavy rainfall and hot weather conditions across parts of the state (pictured a flooded road in Queensland)

‘It tastes and smells terrible, undrinkable,’ another person said. 

The notice also stated that Seqwater was working around the clock to ensure large quantities of water was moved to the SEQ Water grid. 

The move would help increase the flow of water and help improve the taste.

‘We have also increased monitoring of the water catchment and throughout the treatment processes,’ the notice read.

‘The water will return to its usual taste, potentially over the coming days, pending weather conditions.’

Residents who were sensitive to the taste of water have been advised to cool the liquid to reduce the earthy taste. 

MIB is a naturally occurring compound that is produced by blue or green algae in raw water storages such as dams and weirs. 

The substance can also be produced by bacteria in water and soil. 

MIB doesn’t pose a risk to public health and once drinking water that contains the compound is treated it is safe to consume.