Tumut
Indicator: Drinking Water Quality
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What the results tell us for Tumut
The Tumut Shire Council's drinking water supply is of excellent and consistent quality.
Quality of the water supplied
Adelong
Adelong drinking water supply is sourced from the Adelong Creek and provides drinking water for a population of 930. The supply is fully treated and disinfected with chlorine.
A total of 159 samples were assessed for E. coli, and no organisms were detected. This indicates a consistently excellent quality water supply.
One sample was assessed for 31 different inorganic components.
No inorganic components were above the Guideline Values.
Batlow
Batlow drinking water supply is sourced from Batlow reservoir, and serves a population of 1,700.The supply is filtered and disinfected with chlorine.
A total of 156 samples were assessed for E. coli, and no organisms were detected. This indicates a consistently excellent quality water supply. No inorganic analysis was carried out.
Brungle
Batlow drinking water supply is sourced from Brungle Creek, and serves a population of 90. The supply is microfiltered, softened and disinfected with chlorine.
A total of 43 samples were assessed for E. coli over a period of 4 years, and one organism was detected on 23rd September 2008. This indicates a consistently good quality water supply. No inorganic analysis was carried out.
Talbingo
Talbingo drinking water supply is sourced from Jounama Creek, and receives full treatment. Disinfection is done with chlorine.
A total of 83 samples were assessed for E. coli over a period of 4 years, and one organism was detected on 31 January 2005. This indicates a consistently good quality water supply. No inorganic analysis was carried out.
Tumut
Tumut and Morgans Reserve drinking water supplies are sourced from the Tumut River and provide drinking water for a population of 7,000. The supply is fully treated and disinfected with chlorine.
A total of 272 samples were assessed for E. coli, and no organisms were detected. This indicates a consistently excellent quality water supply.
Two samples were assessed for 31 different inorganic components.
One sample was slightly above the recommended pH range of pH 6.5-8.5, however at pH 8.6, this is of no significance. One sample assessed for aluminium slightly exceeded the Guideline Values. These small increases have no health significance.
No other inorganic components were above the Guideline Values.
About the data
In 2004 the National Health and Medical Research Council (NRMHC) introduced the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, which provide the basis for quality assessment. These Guidelines have not included Total Coliforms as a measure of water quality for health purposes, as the organisms are widely present in soil and untreated water and grow in water pipes, and do not reflect the content of pathogenic organisms. Monitoring for Escherichia coli is, by contrast, particularly informative, since this organism occurs in large numbers in faeces and hence is an effective indicator of faecal contamination. It is killed by standard drinking water treatment and therefore should not occur in domestic supplies. The drinking water Guideline Value is zero organisms per 100ml sample and any detected organisms present in the water therefore exceed the guideline, and should result in an increase in the disinfection of the supply.
This remedial action should be taken until the E. coli count returns to zero.
While there are many other pathogens present in faecal contamination of water, monitoring of E. coli has been shown to be an effective and straightforward method for public health. Where the data from a water supply for this period show E .coli present, it has been commented upon for each water supply reported.
Concentrations of inorganic components of water supplies do not have such a sharp impact on health as faecal contamination. The Guideline Values reflect safe concentrations for lifetime exposure, and minor exceedences, which briefly occur, are of negligible risk to public health. Inorganic constituents become a risk to public health when they consistently exceed the Guideline Values, with the risk increasing with the concentration in the supply. Where these have occurred, they are commented upon in the appropriate section of the report. Unless there is accidental contamination of the supply, it is unlikely that any substantial variations in concentration of inorganic components will occur throughout any year.
Continuing concentrations that significantly exceed the Guideline Values require investigation and rectification. The results included in this report are from 1st January 2005 to the time of writing, mid-November 2008.
The information assessed in this report is available on the NSW Health water database, and uses the current NHMRC Drinking Water guidelines as the reference for the analytical comparisons.
References
NSW Department of Health Drinking Water Database 2008 http://www3.health.nsw.gov.au/waterqual/samples/register.cfm.
NHMRC and NRMMC - see National Health and Medical Research Council and Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council
National Health and Medical Research Council and Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council 2004. Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. National Water Quality Management Strategy. http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/eh19syn.htm
