The Tasmanian Environment Protection Authority has asked independent experts to investigate claims that plantations of Eucalyptus Nitens could be poisoning drinking supplies on the east coast.

The claims emerged in St Helens, where testing by a doctor and independent scientists found that higher toxicity in the George River was highly likely to be linked to plantations upstream.

Despite St Helens residents being encouraged to continue drinking town water supplies by Tasmanian Health officials, the Tasmanian EPA this week set up the expert group to be independent of government influence, in a bid to improve public confidence.

Plantations of the nitens are also growing in Victoria, with numerous towns around Gippsland, including Seaspray and Yarram, taking their drinking water from rivers that also sustain nitens plantations.

Water authorities in Gippsland confirmed they were aware of the Tasmanian controversy but had not increased their water testing regimes. Local residents such as Susie Zent have called for Victorian authorities to investigate.