Two regional councils are taking control of their water supplies, conducting tests to determine risks potentially posed by coal seam gas extraction.

Queensland’s Maranoa Regional Council has commissioned independent investigations after methane was found in a town water supply.

Experts have been brought in to determine if the methane came from nearby coal seam gas (CSG) wells.

The Maranoa Council says chemical and bacterial levels are within Australian drinking guidelines, but it still wants to know how the gas was found in its bore water supply.

Other bores are still in operation are safe to drink.

Meanwhile in New South Wales, the Richmond Valley Council has received its data from independent testing of water around a proposed gas drilling site.

The checks were reportedly paid for by mining firm Metgasco, after the NSW State Government refused.

One councillor says impacts should be assessed through all phases of a project by gathergin baseline data before they begin.

“There's about 30 or so different elements that have been tested,” Richmond Valley mayor John Walker has told the ABC.

“Everything from metals to alkalinity, to chemical makeup measuring methane etcetera in the water.

“So what we want to know is what's normal in the water in that area, and does the drilling cause any negative effect on that water?

“We believe that the government should make it a requirement, and I think everyone would agree with that... but they just didn't take the initiative,” he said.