Access to drinkable water has been a gamble for a small drought-affected town in outback Queensland, but that is set to change.

Ilfracombe is hoping to firm up its water supply with the introduction of a temporary desalination plant next month.

But with rising temperatures and the risk of evaporation, the local council is keeping a close eye on the situation.

Longreach Mayor Ed Warren says the council is keeping a close eye on Ilfracombe's water as temperatures begin to rise coming into summer. ( ABC Western Qld: Aneeta Bhole )

Longreach Regional Council Mayor Ed Warren said while high temperatures were common in the region, a lack of consistent rain had pushed the town to the brink one too many times.

"Particularly because the Longreach Regional Council area, which includes the towns of Longreach, Ilfracombe, Isisford and Yaraka, are all dependent on dam water," he said.

"Some of those cases, particularly Ilfracombe, we've only got three-and-a-half months of water left in our dams."

Lack of rain is an ongoing issue at Ilfracombe. ( Facebook: Tracey Walker )

Water security an ongoing issue

The issue of dwindling water supplies is not unusual in the small central-west town.

In 2015 thousands of litres of water were carted from neighbouring towns as water supplies nearly turned to dust.

Council Ilfracombe branch manager Wes Irwin said what happened in 2015 was similar to what was happening now.

"Just like then we had to pump all the water from the Murray MacMillan Dam into the Shannon Dam to lessen the evaporation," he said.

Wes Irwin at the Shannon Dam, where water has been transferred from the Murray Macmillan Dam. ( ABC News: Aneeta Bhole )

"[But back then] the fire trucks were delivering water into town in pods, with each household having a couple of pods each."

Mr Irwin said while there was no guarantee that investing in a temporary desalination plant would be successful in solidifying the town's water security, it was likely the best option.

"We've just got to do it. It's just one of those things if you sit back and go 'oh well' you're not going to get anywhere," he said.

"It certainly gets us out of trouble when they need water, and believe me any water is better than no water."

The town of Ilfracombe in central-western Queensland was in drought in 2015 and is again today. ( ABC News: Alison Angus, file )

Solutions and alternative options

The temporary desalination plant will be put in place a month-and-a-half before a purpose-built plant is made and transported to the town.

It will pump water from a State Government-funded bore completed earlier this year.

"I think the temporary one will give us a good indicator about where we're going to go, and if it works okay then the other one should be even better along the way," Mr Irwin said.

"About the only other option is piping water from Barcaldine, so it's probably our best option at the moment."

Hotel owner Tracy Hatch says it is important for residents to have water security. ( ABC Western Qld: Aneeta Bhole )

But Tracy Hatch, who owns the Wellshot Hotel in town, said she was not convinced a desalination plant was the only option for the town's water security.

"Maybe we have to take a leaf out of Hughenden Shire's book at the moment. They have a big man-made lake in production," she said.

"Not only would it be water sustainability but a tourist attraction, recreation, bird life, fish, it would cover so many bases."

Ms Hatch said the water problem appeared to be never-ending.

"There's no resolution, nothing seems to be happening, and I know they're speaking about the desalination plant, but coming into Christmas there's no doubt things will slow down," she said.

The desalination plant will treat the water from a State Government-funded bore built in Ilfracombe earlier this year. ( ABC Western Qld: Aneeta Bhole )

Population decline an unavoidable reality

With ongoing drought conditions and no decent rain forecast in the coming weeks, Ms Hatch said the water situation heavily contributed to population decline in the area.

"We choose to live here … but we want to retain our populations," she said.

"Tourists they come, they go, but the people that live here have to come home to a dead garden. We need to be thinking of how to keep people in our towns."

Drought has taken a toll on outback communities, contributing to population decline across the west. ( ABC Western Qld: Aneeta Bhole )

Mr Irwin worries the effects of the drought will be damaging for decades to come.

"There have been storms around and people have been lucky enough to get under them, but as a rule of thumb we keep being the ones to miss out," he said.

"It does have an effect on the community. People have left the community and I don't think they'll come back just because we get a bit of rain.

"It could take another 10 or 20 years to get us back where we were before the drought."