Quantifying and explaining inequalities in drinking water quality access in remote and regional Australia

The quality of drinking water – encompassing both safety and acceptability – is essential for health and well-being, yet access remains inequitable across and within countries. We investigated inequalities in access to ‘good quality’ drinking water that fully complies with both health and aesthetic Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, for four Australian jurisdictions: the Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia using data from 2011 to 2023. Differences in the likelihood of accessing good-quality drinking water across communities under 10,000 in population were analysed using fixed-effects regression with panel data. We found that communities with smaller populations and more remote communities where First Peoples comprise most of the residents, experience a longer duration, and a greater likelihood not accessing good-quality drinking water. Our results are robust to different specifications and tests and highlight the urgent need for infrastructure funding, governance reforms and community-led partnerships to ensure good-quality drinking water for all Australians.