Progress has continued on securing Narrabri’s town water supply, with analysis of a new bore at the saleyards site underway.
If water quality testing meets required standards, the bore will connect to the Namoi Reservoir.
At last week’s council meeting, it was noted that specific licences and approvals are required from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, the EPA and NSW Health before pipework installation could proceed.
A temporary PFAS treatment plant is also a step closer, with 12 submissions received during an expression of interest process.
Mayor Darrell Tiemens described sinking the new bores as a complex process as it has to abide by the Australian Drinking Water Standards.
“We all think that it’s just a matter of drilling the bore, sticking the pump down there, put some poly in … it’s a lot more complex than that,” he said.
“There are so many hoops and authorities that we have to get licences and tick-offs from.”
“I’m staggered at how much progress the team have made in this short time,” Cr Tiemens said.
Councillors asked extensive questions in relation to various components of the new bore and the water treatment plant, seeking assurances that council would move swiftly to keep pushing the matter forward.
“No one’s sitting back and waiting. The team have been working very, very hard,” general manager Eloise Chaplain told the meeting.
“We have a consultant on this as well.
“We have a specialist consultant hired looking at where we can get our water from. If we don’t get the next tick of approval through, they’ve already worked out the next place we’re going start doing flow testing.
“We don’t have the resources available to sit back and do that sort of stuff right now.
“We’ve got a consultant doing it, and the team are working very hard to make sure we maintain water supply to this community.”
Mrs Chaplain described it as a “really manual process”.
“We’re spending an exorbitant amount of money to try to get this progressing,” she said.
Cr Tiemens acknowledged that the community is asking questions about the water issue.
“It’s a deeply frustrating process,” he said of all the requirements of new bores for the water supply.
Cr Jocellin Jansson acknowledged that many in the community thought the bores could be turned on at full capacity and people just not drink the water.
However, she said PFAS is absorbed through the skin.
“Bathing in it, playing in it under the sprinkler, swimming in it … we can’t allow for any of that to be done,” she said.
“We have a responsibility to protect people’s health.
“It’s simply not possible to turn on all the bores … and not everyone can afford to buy drinking water.”
Mrs Chaplain acknowledged Cr Jansson’s comments.
“You are absolutely correct. We are a local water utility and we have a responsibility to provide water that meets the Australian Drinking Water Standards,” Mrs Chaplain said.
“As the general manager of this organisation, but also just as a person in the community, I don’t want to be providing water to this community that could add or lead to health outcomes in future years.”
Cr Tiemens said council hoped to be in a situation where Narrabri has the best quality water it has had in many decades.
Councillors also questioned the expression of interest process for the treatment plant, and possible timelines.
“We’re looking to send out the tender documents to some pre-selected tenderers in early March for a three-week period to target the April report to council to award a contract as the funding deed requires,” council’s infrastructure delivery director Warren Faulkner said.
Mr Faulkner said the aim would be to get the successful tenderer on the ground by June. Mr Faulkner expected more detail about the timeline in the April report to council.
The issue of PFAS was recurrent throughout the council meeting, with a finance update noting that water services revenue is forecast to decline.
The quarterly budget review, as at December 2025, forecast user charges to decline by around $500,000.
“This is a result of the water restrictions presently in place to ensure sufficient water availability and longevity in managing PFAS-related risks,” the report noted.
“An increase of approximately $185,000 in contractor expenditure is forecast, driven by additional PFAS statutory compliance activities and increased utilisation of vacuum trucks to manage main breaks and support pipe location services.”
In a later PFAS update in the meeting, a report to councillors noted that hot weather in January saw demand exceed supply, resulting in the gradual decline of water levels in the reservoir. However, water levels have since recovered peaking as high as 90 per cent in recent weeks.
Routine treated water testing continues at the Namoi Street reservoirs, with all results indicating the Narrabri drinking water supply meets the Australian Drinking Water Standards.
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