Free Private Bore Water Testing for Top End Rural Area

The Territory Government has conducted free private bore water quality testing for people in the Top End rural area.

The Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport (NRETAS) received 1272 samples for testing.

Twenty seven of these samples have recorded minor traces of arsenic. While these results pose no immediate danger to people, the 27 bore owners have been contacted to inform them of their initial sample results and discuss recommendations for further testing.

All bore owners that submitted samples for testing have been notified of their results from the Northern Territory Environmental Laboratory through NRETAS. If you have not received this notification, please contact NRETAS by email at water.nretas@nt.gov.au or telephone 8999 3632.

Regions of Private Bores that have Recorded Minor Traces of Arsenic

The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines set conservative health or aesthetic guideline values.

The Guidelines use current knowledge to determine the concentration of a water characteristic that does not result in any significant risk to the consumer over a lifetime of consuming water from that source.

The Guidelines’ health threshold value for arsenic is 0.007 mg/L. Twenty seven out of 1272 samples recorded above this value, with ranges between 0.007 to 0.188 mg/L. Repeat samples should be taken to confirm the water quality and then further advice can be provided to landowners on those results, including long term drinking water options and health information by officers from NRETAS and Department of Health.

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The free private bore water testing was conducted for landholders who may have been unsure about the water quality of their bore following reports of moderate arsenic concentrations in some private bores in the Litchfield and Coomalie Shires.

This testing has been funded by the Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport, with landholders accessing appropriate sample bottles to conduct the sample collection from their private bore.

Landholders are responsible for ensuring the water quality of their own bores, however the Territory Government will cover this cost of the testing service for rural landholders.

Further inquires can be directed to water.nretas@nt.gov.au or telephone 8999 3632.

For more information about Bores in the Top End:

For more information about water quality in general:


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