Update: It was actually 2003, I was in Theodore at the time. It’s recovered mostly from that bushfire as well as the 2019/2020, when I was visiting while it was happening.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Canberra_bushfires
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019–20_Australian_bushfire_season
https://www.icrc.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/1247030/CRES_Submission_2.pdf
Search term from the immediately above link is, ‘why was Canberra’s water so good before the bushfire?’
I have been living in Melbourne since 2017. Canberra’s water still just pips it (Silvan Reservoir area), thanks to the Corin and Bendora dams. Googong water is still terrible (it has a slightly bitter taste, probably because of chlorination treatment) when water from it is required, but they haven’t had to use that for a while. It’s night and day to me, at least when Googong water is involved.
It’s the symptoms tbf