Discoloured Water
Council supplies clean and safe drinking water that meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
Discoloured Water
Occasionally, cases of discoloured water can occur. These occasions are usually due to naturally occurring manganese in the water and are now infrequent due to improvement works undertaken at the Water Filtration Plant in 2015.
The soil in the Bathurst drinking water catchment is rich in manganese. Manganese is a compound naturally occurring in river water. It does not create any public health concerns but is unsightly as the colouring can turn the filtered water to varying shades of yellow, brown or black.
What to do if you have discoloured water
If you encounter discoloured water during working hours, you should call Bathurst Regional Council on 02 6333 6100. If the discoloured water occurs after hours, call Council's emergency number 6334 2795.
Council staff will normally advise customers to run the tap closest to the street and another tap furthermost from the street for no more than 5 minutes. If that does not clear the water, then Council staff will need to flush the Council water main.
For information please download the Frequently Asked Questions on discoloured water.
Manganese Removal Project
Following extensive investigations and staged trials, Council completed the Bathurst Water Filtration Plant Manganese Removal Project in August 2015. This successful project changed the way water is treated and greatly reduced the issue of discoloured water in the Bathurst water supply system.
With the removal of manganese from Council’s network by capturing it at the treatment plant, chlorine levels are established across the water network.
Monitoring and flushing of the town’s network is ongoing to ensure that any remaining manganese in the network is removed.
For details on the Manganese Removal Project, download the project brochure.