As its water supply dwindles, Uralla is facing another emergency – high levels of arsenic have now been detected.
On Wednesday, 20,000 litres of bottled water was trucked in from Sydney for the consumption of local residents, and it’s unclear how long it’ll take to treat the water.
The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines say 0.01mg of arsenic or less per litre is considered safe to drink, but Uralla Shire Council’s readings show between 0.04mg and 0.05mg per litre.
The average person would have to drink 10 litres of water for two years for their health to be affected by those levels, but Council says it can’t allow the water to go untreated.
People can still use the town’s water to shower or bathe in, or for any purposes other than human consumption.
While Council initially feared a new plant would be required, it’s instead pursuing a treatment option which would wipe out 95 percent of the arsenic.
It’ll be taking samples over the coming days, and will keep the community updated.
Truckloads of bottled water will continue to be delivered and distributed free-of-charge at local supermarkets.
