Drinking water monitoring program
Last modified: July 24, 2009 - 2:52 PM
Forbes Shire Council works in conjunction with NSW Health to conduct an intensive monitoring program to ensure the high-quality standard of drinking water throughout our Shire.
Safe drinking water is essential for public health. The NSW Department of Health have endorsed the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2008 (ADWG) for use by water utilities in NSW. The ADWG define water quality criteria for water primarily intended for human consumption and includes water used for drinking, bathing and showering. The Guidleines provide a solid foundation for assessing water quality by specifying health-based and aesthetic criteria, as well as a philosophy of the multiple barrier approach from catchment to tap, to ensure the safety of the water.
The Role of Council in Monitoring our Drinking Water
Forbes Shire Council agrees that it is vital to ensure that consumers in regional New South Wales receive safe drinking water. In taking an active approach, a member from Council's Environmental Services & Planning Department routinely takes water samples from numerous source sites, not only in the Forbes township, but in the entire Forbes Shire, on a weekly basis. Samples are sent to analytical laboratories, where they are analysed and assessed against relevant drinking water guidelines. Water samples are tested for bacteriological content and chemical components.
Contact details
Forbes Shire Council
02 6850 2300 (ph)
02 6850 2399 (fax)
forbes@forbes.nsw.gov.au
| 
