Water Quality - Private Supplies
Drinking Water
Most residents in the Griffith Local Government Area obtain their drinking water directly from Griffith City Council's 'potable' (suitable for drinking) water supply. However, some people obtain their water from other sources such as rainwater tanks, rivers and creeks, irrigation channels, dams and bores, or have potable water delivered to them. These are known as private water supplies.
Drinking water must be safe for human consumption and must not have any harmful contaminants such as bacteria, algae, and certain chemicals. This usually means the water needs to be treated in some way in order to make it safe to drink. Further information on drinking water can be found on NSW Health’s website.
Private Water Supplies - at Home and on the Farm
It is the owner's responsibility to ensure that their drinking water supply is safe and free from contaminants. Contaminated water supplies can cause illnesses such as vomiting, diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, poisoning, and infections caused by Cryptosporidium and Giardia. These illnesses are particularly dangerous to the very young, the elderly, the ill, and people with poor immune systems.
It is useful to have your water supply tested and maintained on a regular basis. For more information on managing your private water supply, see the Private Water Supply Guidelines from NSW Health or contact Griffith City Council's Environmental Health Officer on (02) 6962 8100 for more information.
Commercial Private Water Supplies
A commercial premises with a private water supply who treats or supplies drinking water available to the public must be registered with Griffith City Council and meet certain standards. Such businesses may include but are not limited to:
-
Caravan parks, camping grounds and mobile home parks;
-
Guest houses, bed and breakfast accommodation, motels, backpacker accommodation, farmstay accommodation;
-
Petrol stations and roadhouses;
-
Community halls
-
Conference centres;
-
Recreational and sporting facilities;
-
Schools;
-
Food manufacturing premises; and
-
Cafes, restaurants and hotels.
These premises are required to have a management plan which includes maintenance and testing records and will be inspected annually by Council's Environmental Health Officer. A fee is payable for this inspection as outlined in Council's Revenue Policy. Please contact Council's Environmental Health Officer on (02) 6962 8100 for more information on private water supplies.
Council offers a water testing service at the costs outlined in Council's Revenue Policy. Please contact Council's Environmental Health Officer on (02) 6962 8100 for more information.
Rainwater Tanks
Rainwater can provide a renewable supply of natural, soft, clear and odourless water. We can harness rainwater for a range of purposes including drinking, washing, bathing, laundry and gardening. A proper rainwater tank system can be the main source of household water or it can be modified to be used as a supplement to main water supply.
The benefit of rainwater in tank is that, generally, it contains few chemicals or contaminants - if care is taken to maintain the tank and the surrounding area - which gives you pure water for domestic use.
For more information regarding rainwater tanks, the Griffith City Council Rainwater Tank Guidelines is available for download. Also available is the publication Guidance on Use of Rainwater Tanks published by the Australian Government.
Water Testing
External Water Quality Testing can be carried out for such things as:
-
Swimming pools
-
Bores
-
Dams
-
Irrigation water
-
Spas
-
Rainwater tanks
-
Cooling towers
-
Warm water systems
-
Other types of sampling such as effluent testing.
Please contact Council's Environmental Health Officer on (02) 6962 8100 to enquire about water testing or for further information on private water testing refer to NSW Health’s website.
