A Queensland island community's water supply is running dangerously low and the state government isn't doing enough to help because residents are poor, the mayor claims.
A long dry spell at Palm Island, off Townsville, means there'll be no drinking water left for the 2000 residents within 60 days if the sky doesn't open up.
Despite government contractors drilling bores near the dams this week, Mayor Alf Lacey says authorities aren't responding quickly enough to ensure residents don't run out of drinking water.
"If Palm Island was Brisbane the situation would be different," he told AAP.
"Is it because we're a low socio-economic community so government just doesn't worry?"
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Mr Lacey asked Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in October to consider emergency interventions and new water supplies over concerns the situation was becoming critical.
The government responded by arranging for bores to be drilled, but yields from that work aren't yet known.
The mayor said he is still waiting to hear whether officials will arrange for a mobile desalination plant to be brought in at a cost of more than $1 million for three months.
Mr Lacey is concerned the island will see a repeat of the severe water shortage in 1993-94 when some families moved to Townsville permanently over fears there wasn't enough drinking water.
Bottled water was brought in at the time and as a result a second dam was built.
"We have to do everything humanly possible to work out a better long-term solution for the island," Mr Lacey said of the current water shortage.
"In the meantime we are praying for rain."
Comment has been sought from the premier's office.
