A GROUP of off-duty correctional officers have given families out west a lifeline in the drought by doing a water delivery to Menindee earlier this month.
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Staff at the Bathurst Jail reached out to the community for water donations and, along with donations from jail staff, collected an incredible 650 parcels of water, which were then driven almost 1000 kilometres to families in need.
Wayne Cole, who was one of the water drop organisers, said staff from Bathurst, Dubbo and Kirkconnell jails did the delivery in their own time, using their own vehicles and fuel.
He said staff had previously done a water drive to Walgett, and hope to go to other communities out west.
In addition to delivering the water, the volunteers also distributed Share the Dignity packs to women.
Mr Cole said the water drop was a great example of the community pulling together to help out others doing it tough.
"We got water donations from all over Bathurst, people have been dropping donations off to the jail," he said
"In James Barnett Drive [in Kelso], someone went around and collected a couple of dollars from every household and with the money we were able to purchase water.
"The people at IGA really looked after us; we were able to buy bottled water at a really good rate from them, they did us a really good deal on pallets."
He said other businesses in town have also been supporting the cause.
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When the volunteers drove into Menindee, residents couldn't believe they would drive all the way from Bathurst just to help them.
Mr Cole said one person in particular stood out from the crowd.
"I had an 80-year-old man ask me for some water, so he could make his wife a cup of tea," he said.
"To have an 80-year-old man ask for a bottle of water, so politely, so he could make his elderly wife a cuppa, is heartbreaking."
Mr Cole said the water they have in Menindee is unpalatable, with a "repugnant sewerage odor", and he didn't realise just how bad it was until he arrived.
"There are only two lakes still holding water. Menindee Lake is completely empty and so is the Pamamaroo inlet; I walked through the weir there, you've really got to see it, to understand how bad it is," he said.
"The people out there are quite isolated, were just here to let them know we haven't forgotten them."
Having just returned from out west, Mr Cole said donations for the next water drop would be much appreciated.
Anyone wanting to donate to the next run can do so by dropping off bottled water donations to the general office at the jail.
