Coca-Cola's free water extraction in Perth has raised community concerns.

WA Water Minister Simone McGurk has announced a reassessment of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners' (CCEP) groundwater extraction practices in the Perth Hills. 

The move follows public outcry over the beverage giant's free access to local groundwater resources, used for bottling its Mount Franklin water.

CCEP has been relying on an arrangement established in the 1990s to extract up to 280,000 litres of water a week from a bore on Irymple Road, Roleystone.

It does this without incurring any costs or requiring a licence, due to the bore's location on unproclaimed land.

“It just doesn't pass the pub test,” McGurk said after the matter was raised in a recent interview. 

She said there is a need for transparency in such large-scale commercial extractions, and a revised approach that pays regard to the drying climate conditions impacting the region.

After a meeting with representatives from Coca-Cola, McGurk has revealed plans to collaborate with scientists from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation to better understand and potentially revise the extraction process. 

“In particular, I want to address community concerns around whether there is any impact on water users nearby,” she said. 

She said she has secured a mutual commitment to enhancing Coca-Cola's transparency concerning its water extraction operations.

Local orchardists and residents fear the unchecked extraction could adversely affect their water supply. 

Despite assurances from a Coca-Cola spokesperson, who claimed the company replenishes the water it uses and adheres to stringent monitoring protocols, community scepticism persists.

Joanne Abbiss, chief executive of the City of Armadale, confirmed the original permissions granted in 1992 allowed for 2-3 truckloads of water per week, which increased to 10-15 by 1996. 

There remains a significant concern over the actual volume being extracted due to a lack of rigorous monitoring.

The scientific assessment is expected to begin soon.