South-west’s unofficial water quality expert says private tank management critical

TESTING water to make sure it’s acceptable for drinking is all in a day’s work for Hamilton scientist, Larry Walker. He is especially passionate about making sure people consider whether their tank water is safe and advises people to consistently “engage with (their) water collection and storage systems”. Photo: LAUREN HAY.

By Mark Rabich

August 20, 2021 | 2:10 PM

HAMILTON’S Larry Walker might have an official qualification in analytical chemistry but through a series of career events he has ended up working out of a lab on Port Fairy Road as the south-west region’s unofficial go-to expert for assessing private-property water quality.

With the prevalence of tanks on rural properties, the condition of the water is often assumed to be satisfactory with larger volumes, but Mr Walker said this could be far from the case.