Water

The land, sea and water are central to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and spirituality. Connection to water includes the responsibility to care for water on Country and therefore Indigenous knowledge is important to how water is managed throughout Australia [47266]. The spiritual, cultural, environmental, social, and economic significance of water for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, means that having access to good quality water and the necessary equipment and management plans to look after that water supply, is vital for the health and wellbeing of people and communities, particularly in remote areas where water can be scarce [44265] [46160].

A major source of water for remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are groundwater supplies such as bore water, wells and natural springs. Other sources of water include surface water such as lakes and rivers, and local rainwater storage such as town reservoirs and rainwater tanks. It is important to regularly test water quality to prevent the increased public health risk of harmful organisms in contaminated or untreated drinking water. Water contaminants can include animal and human sewage, food waste, oil, petrol and grease, pesticides and herbicides, and even radioactive materials. Aside from drinking, the water supplied for communities must be safe for a variety of uses, such as for cooking, personal and domestic hygiene, swimming, and to provide water for agriculture [46154] [40085].

Environmental Health Practitioners in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities complete sanitation surveys and disinfect water supplies to ensure drinking water is safe [43189]. Additional activities include the removal of contaminants from water sources such as old car wrecks and animal carcasses, and the removal of stagnant pools of water around houses and the treatment of rainwater tanks to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. They also use water for fire management and dust control activities.