Enhancing water security: a review of water quality and treatment technologies for remote Australian communities

Access to safe and reliable water is fundamental to human health and well-being and to achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6. Yet many remote Australian communities, including First Nations communities, face challenges in securing drinking water. Supplies do not consistently meet the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, with adverse public-health and socio-economic consequences. Using a targeted literature search and narrative synthesis, this review integrates peer-reviewed literature, Australian government and utility reports, and technical case studies on drinking-water quality and decentralised treatment in remote Australia. Sources were selected for contextual relevance and analysed according to field performance, technology readiness, operational requirements and whole-of-life sustainability consideration. The review examines water-quality challenges and evaluates established and emerging treatment technologies for remote settings. Conventional approaches, including disinfection, filtration and desalination, provide proven treatment functions but may be constrained by isolation, harsh environmental conditions, ageing infrastructure and limited operation and maintenance capacity. Emerging technologies, including electrochemical processes, forward osmosis and membrane distillation, may offer context-specific advantages but lack long-term validation in remote Australian communities. A technology assessment framework guides selection of robust, adaptable and scalable solutions. The findings emphasise sustained community engagement, responsible resource stewardship, performance monitoring and maintenance, effective brine management and demonstrated technology readiness. Research and implementation priorities include emerging-technology field validation, advanced real-time monitoring, renewable-energy integration, and fit-for-purpose governance and investment models aligned with community priorities, institutional capacity, regulatory requirements and whole-of-life service delivery. These priorities would strengthen the reliability, resilience and long-term sustainability of remote drinking-water services.