Drinking water unsafe in Pilbara community

Families in a remote Indigenous community in WA's North East are being forced to rely on bottled drinking water after their water supply has been found to be unsafe.

The water supply for the Jigalong Community, which has a population of fewer than 500 people and is located approximately 1100km from Perth, has been found to contain high levels of nitrate.

The Member for Pilbara, Tom Stephens, is calling on the state government to urgently address the lack of clean water, which could cause harm for infants and young children.

He told ABC: "It's a disgrace and it’s something the State Government must fix and must fix now."

"The basic essential supply of healthy drinking water is all that the community is desperately after and which they should be entitled."

"If this was a street in Nedlands or Dalkeith or Peppermint Grove there's no way the community would tolerate it for a minute."

Chris Renshaw from the Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service confirmed its water supply contains high levels of nitrate and that bottled water is being provided.

He said the Government is supportive but more needs to be done to ensure Jigalong residents have a safe supply of drinking water on tap.

"There should be a better, more stable managed plan so that this stuff doesn't happen," he said.

"I mean you don't want nitrate levels going up and down all the time. It should be reliable."

Mr Stephens says with appropriate Government funding, water can be pumped to the community from nearby clean water sources.