Bourke Water Supply. Sodium levels deemed safe

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian (right) and Deputy Premier John Barilaro (left) with Councillor Sarah Barton and Bourke Mayor Barry Hollman at the Walkdens Bore on the Bourke to Hungerford Road. The bore project was funded by the NSW Government to ensure a safe and secure water supply for the Bourke community during times of drought Photo TWH

Bourke Council last week deferred its decision to switch to 100% bore water, to ensure that the artesian bores are fully operational.

Council General Manager Ross Earl said that the bores are working, but council wants to test all the telemetry equipment in a fully operational situation.

“Our telemetry system communicates with the two bores, and we are making sure that it is totally ready for the future as well.

“The filtered water supply is currently a blend of river water and water from Walkden’s Bore.

In welcome news last week, Council Works Manager Peter Brown advised that recent testing of the blended filtered water supply showed the sodium level in that water was 176mg/l which is below the recommended maximum of 180mg/l for drinking water.

Council will continue to blend river water with bore water for as long as possible, and any changeover to 100% bore water will be for testing purposes only.

Mr Earl said that sodium levels in the filtered water supply will increase if and when the supply becomes fully reliant on bore water.

Read more in the printed edition of the Western Herald.