For the first time since 2020, the northern NSW town of Walgett will no longer rely solely on salty bore water as its main water source with the first steps towards switching to river water now underway.
Celebrating the switch, the Minister for Water, Rose Jackson said the taste and quality of town water would be improved with the transition of the water treatment plant back to the Namoi River.
Ms Jackson highlighted the work of engineers and plant staff at the Department of Planning and Environment – Water and Walgett Council who made the transition possible.
“The residents of Walgett deserve to have access to clean, drinkable and palatable water like other communities around the State,” Ms Jackson said.
“Switching the plant to river water is a complex process that takes time, which is why it will be happening in stages over the next week,” she said.
“It has been three years since the Namoi River was used as the town’s main water supply and it will take a while for the salty bore water to be flushed out of the water network and for residents to notice a difference in the taste of their water.”
Ms Jackson said water quality would be closely monitored throughout the transition and the community would be immediately updated if anything changed.
Having personally taste-tested the bore water, she said it was difficult to drink due to the sodium levels, even though it is safe and technically meets Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
“The reality is the bores were never designed to be used for long-term water supply,” the Minister said.
“They were installed in the State’s worst drought to be used in times of emergency,” she said.
“The reverse osmosis plant, which removes sodium and softens the bore water, will be reinstated mid-year to address the salty taste if the bores are needed in the future.”
Ms Jackson said NSW Health carried out water testing late last month to address community concerns about pesticides in the river and confirmed that pesticides were not detected in the water.
