Securing Broken Hill's Water Supply: Assessment of Groundwater Extraction and Conjunctive Water Supply Options at Menindee Lakes  


Authors / CoAuthors

Lawrie, K.C. | Brodie, R.S. | Dillon, P. | Tan, K.P. | Halas, L. | Christensen, N.B. | Ley-Cooper, A.Y. | Davis, A. | Somerville, P. | Smith, M.S. | Apps, H.E. | Magee, J. | Gibson, D. | Clarke, J.D.A. | Page, D. | Vanderzalm, J. | Miotlinski, K. | Barry, K. | Levett, K. | Gow, L.

Abstract

This professional opinion assesses the viability of utilising the priority aquifer target GWMAR1 to secure Broken Hill's water supply, both as an extractive only scheme and as a conjunctive use scheme employing Managed Aquifer Recharge as a key component. This work comes under the arrangements of the Broken Hill Managed Aquifer Recharge Project Phase 3a Memorandum of Understanding. The report addresses, with confidence levels, the following issues: Option 1: Groundwater Extraction Only. This includes an estimation of the water storage capacity and ambient groundwater salinity of the GWMAR1 priority target and the Jimargil sub-area. Different confidence levels are attached to these two estimates, reflecting the focus of work to date on the Jimargil sub-area. Broader groundwater quality issues will also be discussed. An assessment is also made of the issues with respect to direct groundwater extraction as the sole option for securing Broken Hill's water supply for a minimum of 3 years (approximately 30GL). Option 2 assesses the use of the GWMAR1 priority aquifer as part of a conjunctive water supply incorporating Managed Aquifer Recharge. This includes an assessment of the suitability of the priority MAR target at Jimargil based on the National MAR Risk Assessment Guidelines. The report also includes specification of the remaining information gaps and potential risks to a project to utilise the aquifer for (1) Groundwater extraction and (2) a conjunctive supply utilising Managed Aquifer Recharge. Broken Hill and Menindee. The report also includes a short summary of communities in Australia that currently rely on Managed Aquifer Recharge to supply their potable water, and management issues associated with this supply, and future considerations to a possible implementation phase of providing water security to Broken Hill and Menindee from a regional aquifer.

Product Type

document

eCat Id

71652

Contact for the resource

  Custodian

EGD  

  Point of contact

Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)  
Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
Canberra
ACT
2601
Australia

Keywords

  • GA PublicationProfessional Opinion
( Theme )
  • groundwater
( Theme )
  • Airborne Electromagnetics
( Theme )
  • hydrogeology
( Theme )
  • environmental
( Theme )
  • geoscience
  • AU-NSW
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)
  • Earth Sciences
  • Published_Internal

Publication Date

2011-01-01T00:00:00

Creation Date

Security Constraints

Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem    

Classification - unclassified

Legal Constraints

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence    

Access - restricted

Use - license

Status

Purpose

Maintenance Information

unknown

Topic Category

geoscientificInformation

Series Information

Professional Opinion 2011/02

Lineage

Unknown

Parent Information

Extents

[-33.160994, -31.813564, 141.951381, 143.312632]

Reference System

Spatial Resolution

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