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Bourke on bore water for A 30-day trial


Bourke Shire Council Water Operations Trainee Wes Kelly at the desalination plant PHOTO TWH

Bourke and North Bourke will be switched over to desalinated bore water for 30 days as Bourke Shire Council runs a trial of its artesian bores and new desalination plant.

For the period 25th May to 25th June the filtered water supply for Bourke and North Bourke will be utilising water from the emergency water bore system.

The water will be subject to a desalination process from the recently installed desalination plant funded by the New South Wales State Government.

The operation of the desalination plant is designed to ensure that the sodium level in the town supply is maintained at a maximum level 150mg/l. Previous testing of the bores shows the sodium concentrations range from 289 mg/L to 353 mg/L.

However, during the trial period it is expected that the Australian drinking water guidelines in respect of sodium levels of 180mg/l may be breached for short periods. This will happen when the desalination plant is shut down during the trial period to enable modification works.

Read more in the printed edition of the Western Herald.

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