New Saleyards Lane bore could require additional treatment

NARRABRI Shire Council anticipates that a licence decision for a new bore at Saleyards Lane could be made by the end of this month.

In a comprehensive PFAS water update at last week’s council meeting, the shire’s infrastructure director Warren Faulkner advised that there had been an issue with the bore’s water quality.

“It may require some additional treatment before it actually gets the approval to go into our water supplies,” Mr Faulkner told the meeting.

“We’re now approaching the New South Wales Health Department to find out what that may mean and look like.”

Mr Faulkner also advised the councillors that the council was pivoting with the temporary water treatment plant to have it run off the PFAS-affected Killarney Street bore.

“Our preliminary construction estimates on the temporary PFAS water treatment plan to treat the whole supply was significantly more than the funding we received,” he said.

“We are also then … getting some firmed up estimates on what the cost is just to run it off the PFAS-contaminated bore.”

Mr Faulkner said he was confident this would require the council to go back to the relevant government minister to request further funding to be able to bring that bore back online.

Mayor Darrell Tiemens told the meeting it was a tricky situation the shire was dealing with.

“Not only are we dealing with very strict water standards, but we’re also dealing with multiple layers of government, multiple departments, multiple water standards,” he said.

Cr Ryan Whillas queried what would happen if the state government was not forthcoming with funds and if any contingencies were in place.

Mr Faulkner explained that the council could also look at a bore at Logan’s Lane.

“Reports on the Logan’s Lane bore indicate that the water quality there is similar to Elizabeth Street,” he said.

“It is another pivot point that we’re looking at at the moment.

“We’re just getting confirmation if the bore is on council land.”

Cr Ethan Towns queried what the likely cost would be to have three bores together on a filtration system in either a portable or permanent format.

“The pre-construction estimate on 120 litres a second … a temporary water treatment plan to go into our reservoirs was $12m,” Mr Faulkner said.

“A permanent water supply treatment plant, to treat in the order of six megalitres per day peak production, would be in the order of $30–40m.”

Mr Faulkner also explained that the PFAS drawn out from the water would need to be disposed of as a contaminated material.

“We cannot dispose of it to the tip,” he said.

“It has to be incinerated or taken to a facility in Queensland.

“That’s one of the big issues here in getting it out.”

Continued strategies around dealing with the water situation will be presented to councillors and communicated to the community.

Cr Tiemens sought the consent of councillors to approach the water minister and again reiterate the need for the state government to clean up the situation.

Cr Jocellin Jansson put on the record that the council had been advised by the water minister that Narrabri Shire would not be left out of pocket in dealing with the PFAS issue.

“That’s exactly right. And nor should we,” Cr Tiemens replied.

Cr Greg Lamont thanked Mr Faulkner for his detailed explanation and for the information being communicated to the community.

“I think it’s very important,” he said.

“We as a council are acting positively in a very responsible manner.”