Water supply
Parkes Shire Council is responsible for the Parkes and Peak Hill Water Supply System, which supplies water to the towns of Parkes and Peak Hill, as well as the villages of Alectown and Cookamidgera. In addition, Council manages the 'B' section pipeline, which carries water from Forbes to the villages of Bogan Gate, Trundle, Tullamore and rural consumers.
Parkes Shire Council manages three water sources, Lachlan River, Lachlan River Borefields and Lake Endeavour Dam. These three water sources ensure residents can access potable (drinking) water during peak seasons.
Water Treatment Plant
The Water Treatment Plant provides a safe, secure and reliable water supply for residents and businesses in Parkes and Peak Hill.
The Water Treatment Plant can treat up to 16 Megalitres of water daily, ensuring quality water supply during peak seasons.
Lake Endeavour Dam
A Lake Endeavour early warning system website and the dashboard has been developed and is available byclicking here.
Lachlan River Intake
The Lachlan River provides raw water to the Parkes / Peak Hill water supply scheme.
Lachlan River Borefield
The Parkes Shire Council operates the bore field adjacent to the Lachlan River. The bore field comprises eight bores that extract water from up to 100m below ground level.
Parkes Shire Council commits to safe water supply through regular sampling
Parkes Shire Council is committed to proving a safe and secure drinking water supply for our community. In order to uphold this commitment and ensure production of quality drinking water; Council undertakes regular water testing in line with NSW Health and Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) requirements.
Council wishes to advise of recent sampling that was undertaken from Councils river and bore sites as well as treated water of Parkes. Analysis of these samples was completed by an accredited laboratory with results of all sites for PFAS being below a detectable limit (<0.01ug/L).
PFAS are a group of human-made chemicals that have been widely used in industrial and consumer products since the mid-1900s. PFAS are a class of chemicals that have been developed for fire-fighting, stain and water resistance and other uses. They can pose a risk to health with prolonged exposure. The Guideline values for these materials are set to be protective over a lifetime of exposure. PFAS are of concern as they do not break down easily and can persist for a long time in humans and the environment.
For further information about PFAS please refer to the fact sheet from Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA).
Council will continue to complete its regular sampling program in accordance with the ADWG and NSW Health.
For more information please contact Council’s Infrastructure Department on 02 68612344
Drinking Water Monitoring Report - Executive Summary
In 2024, Parkes Shire Council performed routine drinking water sampling and testing to monitor the quality of drinking water. The results were submitted to the NSW Drinking Water Database.
Compliance is determined against the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (2011) guideline values for E. coli (microbiological), physical and chemical characteristics of drinking water.
The Parkes - Peak Hill supply system achieved compliance of 100% for physical, 100% for chemical, and 100% for microbiological samples.
The B-Section supply system achieved compliance of 100% for physical, 100% for chemical, and 100% for microbiological samples.
Data presented below is sourced from the NSW Health Drinking Water Database.
Parkes - Peak Hill Water Quality Compliance
Table 1. Parkes - Peak Hill Water Quality Compliance
|
Sample
Type
|
Sample
Count
|
Number of
Characteristics
|
Number of
Non‑Compliant
Samples
|
Compliance (%)
|
|
Physical
|
12
|
60
|
0
|
100%
|
|
Chemical
|
12
|
228
|
0
|
100%
|
|
Microbiological
|
122
|
|
0
|
100%
|
Table 1. B - Section Water Quality Compliance
|
Sample Type
|
Sample
Count
|
Number of
Characteristics
|
Number of
Non‑Compliant
Samples
|
Compliance (%)
|
|
Physical
|
2
|
10
|
0
|
100%
|
|
Chemical
|
2
|
38
|
0
|
100%
|
|
Microbiological
|
52
|
|
0
|
100%
|
Parkes - Peak Hill Physical and Selected Aesthetic Chemical Water Quality Data
Table 2b. Parkes - Peak Hill Physical and Selected Aesthetic Chemical Water Quality Data
|
Characteristic
|
Guideline
Value
|
Mean
|
Maximum
|
Sample count
|
Meeting Guideline Value (%)
|
|
Iron
|
0.3mg/L
|
0.005
|
0.005
|
12
|
100%
|
|
Sodium
|
180mg/L
|
82.5
|
101
|
12
|
100%
|
|
Total
dissolved
solids
|
10000mg/L
|
316.42
|
391
|
12
|
100%
|
|
Total hardness
|
200mg/L
|
132.32
|
152.9
|
12
|
100%
|
|
True colour
|
15HU
|
0.92
|
2
|
12
|
100%
|
|
Turbidity
|
5NTU
|
0.21
|
1
|
12
|
100%
|
Table 2b. B-Section Physical and Selected Aesthetic Chemical Water Quality Data
|
Characteristic
|
Guideline Value
|
Mean
|
Maximum
|
Sample count
|
Meeting Guideline Value (%)
|
|
Iron
|
0.3mg/L
|
0.0075
|
0.01
|
2
|
100%
|
|
Sodium
|
180mg/L
|
38
|
41
|
2
|
100%
|
|
Total
dissolved
solids
|
10000mg/L
|
211
|
219
|
2
|
100%
|
|
Total hardness
|
200mg/L
|
152.95
|
166.80
|
2
|
100%
|
|
True colour
|
15HU
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
100%
|
|
Turbidity
|
5NTU
|
0.1
|
0.1
|
2
|
100%
|