Australian Drinking Water Map

Pipalyatjara – South Australia – Selenium

25/5/22: Pipalyatjara Selenium 0.0038mg/L

22/8/22: Pipalyatjara Selenium 0.0042mg/L

22/8/23: Pipalyatjara Selenium 0.0038mg/L

22/11/23: Pipalyatjara Selenium 0.005mg/L

5/6/24: Pipalyatjara Selenium 0.004mg/L

2024/25: Pipalyatjara Selenium 0.0044mg/L (max). 2024/25 av. 0.0407mg/L

Based on health considerations, the concentration of selenium in drinking water should not exceed 0.004 mg/L (2011-2025 guideline 0.01mg/L). “General description Selenium (Se) and selenium salts are widespread in the environment. Selenium is released from natural and human-made sources (such as the burning of coal). Selenium is also a by-product of the processing of sulfide ores, chiefly in the copper refining industry. The major use of selenium is in the manufacture of electronic components. It is used in several other industries, and selenium compounds are used in some insecticides, in hair shampoos as an antidandruff agent, and as a nutritional feed additive for poultry and livestock. Selenium copper alloys have also been identified as a potential replacement for lead copper alloys in plumbing products. Further information on lead replacements in plumbing products (such as selenium copper alloys) is available in Information Sheet 4.1 – Metal and metalloid chemicals leaching from plumbing products. Selenium concentrations in drinking water source waters are generally very low and depend on local geochemistry, climatic conditions (e.g. drought), pH and the presence of iron salts. Selenium in water is mainly present as inorganic compounds, predominantly selenate. Weathering of rocks and soil may result in low levels of selenium in water, which may be taken up by plants (SLR 2022). Food is the major source of intake for Australians. Cereal and grain products contribute most to intake, while fish and liver contain the highest selenium concentrations.” ADWG 2025

2012/16 – Pipalyatjara (South Australia) – Total Dissolved Solids

August 2012 – November 2016: 694mg/L (average from 5 detections. Five above ADWG)

26/11/19: Pipalyatjara Total Dissolved Solids 745mg/L

GUIDELINE

“No specific health guideline value is provided for total dissolved solids (TDS), as there are no
health effects directly attributable to TDS. However for good palatability total dissolved solids
in drinking water should not exceed 600 mg/L.

2012/16 – Pipalyatjara (South Australia) – Hardness

2012/16: Hardness average 415.8mg/L (5 detections out of 5 above guideline)

26/11/19: Pipalyatjara Hardness 466mg/L

GUIDELINE

“To minimise undesirable build‑up of scale in hot water systems, total hardness (as calcium
carbonate) in drinking water should not exceed 200 mg/L.

Hard water requires more soap than soft water to obtain a lather. It can also cause scale to form on hot water pipes and fittings. Hardness is caused primarily by the presence of calcium and magnesium ions, although other cations such as strontium, iron, manganese and barium can also contribute.”

Pipalyatjara 1997-1999

The salinity of these groundwaters is 640-770 mg/L TDS with nitrate concentrations of 30-35 mg/L and fluoride concentrations < 1 mg/L. These values are all within the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (1996). The 1997 water quality investigation detected total coliform counts in the supply lines (Fitzgerald et al., 2000).

Total Dissolved Solids

“No specific health guideline value is provided for total dissolved solids (TDS), as there are no
health effects directly attributable to TDS. However for good palatability total dissolved solids
in drinking water should not exceed 600 mg/L.

Total dissolved solids (TDS) consist of inorganic salts and small amounts of organic matter that are dissolved in water. Clay particles, colloidal iron and manganese oxides and silica, fine enough to pass through a 0.45 micron filter membrane can also contribute to total dissolved solids.

Pipalyatjara (South Australia) – Silica

2024/25: Pipalyatjara Silica Total 80.4mg/L (max). 2024/25 av. 77.5mg/L

To minimise an undesirable scale build up on surfaces, silica (SiO2) within drinking waters should not exceed 80 mg/L.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Silica present in water is usually referred to as amorphous silica (i.e. lacking any crystalline structure). When silica is dissolved within water it forms monosilicic acid:
SiO2 + 2H2O à Si(OH)4
When the concentrations of monosilicic acid increase, polymerisation of the silica occurs, forming polysilicic acids followed by formation of colloidal silica. Monosilicic acid and polysilicic acids are the forms of silica analysed when determining dissolved silica content.
The deposition of silica from solutions can occur via various mechanisms. The deposition of silica that can cause the most problems for the water industry is via silica’s ability to deposit on solid surfaces that have hydroxyl (OH) groups present. Surfaces that commonly have hydroxyl groups present are glass and metallic surfaces. For example, dissolved silica will react with the surfaces of glass and begin to form a white precipitate. The silica forms silicates on the surface, resulting in silica build-up. In cases where customer complaints occur due to scale build-up, water hardness and silica concentrations should be investigated to determine the cause.
Silica can be a problem in water treatment due to its ability to cause fouling of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes (Sheikholeslami and Tan, 1999, Ning 2002, Sahachaiyunta and Sheikholeslami 2002). This occurs when the dissolved silica of the concentrate becomes super-saturated, causing silicates to form in the presence of metals, and these deposit on the membrane surface. The silicate then dehydrates, forming hard layers on the membrane that reduce the effectiveness of the process… 2011 ADWG

1997-99 + 2012/25: Pipalyatjara (South Australia) – Selenium, Total Dissolved Solids, Hardness, Silica

in , ,
Pipalyatjara – South Australia – Selenium 25/5/22: Pipalyatjara Selenium 0.0038mg/L 22/8/22: Pipalyatjara Selenium 0.0042mg/L 22/8/23: Pipalyatjara Selenium 0.0038mg/L 22/11/23: Pipalyatjara Selenium 0.005mg/L 5/6/24: Pipalyatjara Selenium 0.004mg/L 2024/25: Pipalyatjara Selenium 0.0044mg/L (max). 2024/25 av. 0.0407mg/L Based on health considerations, the concentration of selenium in drinking water should not exceed 0.004 mg/L (2011-2025 guideline 0.01mg/L). “General description Selenium (Se) and selenium salts are widespread in the environment. Selenium is released from natural and human-made sources (such as the burning of coal). Selenium is also a by-product of the processing of sulfide ores, chiefly in the copper refining industry. The major use of selenium is in the manufacture of electronic components. It is used in several other industries, and selenium compounds are used in some insecticides, in hair shampoos as an antidandruff agent, and as a nutritional feed additive for poultry and livestock. Selenium copper alloys have also been identified as a potential replacement for lead copper alloys in plumbing products. Further information on lead replacements in plumbing products (such as selenium copper alloys) is available in Information Sheet 4.1 – Metal and metalloid chemicals leaching from plumbing products. Selenium concentrations in drinking water source waters are generally very low and depend on local geochemistry, climatic conditions (e.g. drought), pH and the presence of iron salts. Selenium in water is mainly present as inorganic compounds, predominantly selenate. Weathering of rocks and soil may result in low levels of selenium in water, which may be taken up by plants (SLR 2022). Food is the major source of intake for Australians. Cereal and grain products contribute most to intake, while fish and liver contain the highest selenium concentrations.” ADWG 2025 2012/16 – Pipalyatjara (South Australia) – Total Dissolved Solids August 2012 – November 2016: 694mg/L (average from 5 detections. Five above ADWG) 26/11/19: Pipalyatjara Total Dissolved Solids 745mg/L GUIDELINE “No specific health guideline value is provided for total dissolved solids (TDS), as there are no health effects directly attributable to TDS. However for good palatability total dissolved solids in drinking water should not exceed 600 mg/L. 2012/16 – Pipalyatjara (South Australia) – Hardness 2012/16: Hardness average 415.8mg/L (5 detections out of 5 above guideline) 26/11/19: Pipalyatjara Hardness 466mg/L GUIDELINE “To minimise undesirable build‑up of scale in hot water systems, total hardness (as calcium carbonate) in drinking water should not exceed 200 mg/L. Hard water requires more soap than soft water to obtain a lather. It can also cause scale to form on hot water pipes and fittings. Hardness is caused primarily by the presence of calcium and magnesium ions, although other cations such as strontium, iron, manganese and barium can also contribute.” Pipalyatjara 1997-1999 The salinity of these groundwaters is 640-770 mg/L TDS with nitrate concentrations of 30-35 mg/L and fluoride concentrations < 1 mg/L. These values are all within the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (1996). The 1997 water quality investigation detected total coliform counts in the supply lines (Fitzgerald et al., 2000). Total Dissolved Solids “No specific health guideline value is provided for total dissolved solids (TDS), as there are no health effects directly attributable to TDS. However for good palatability total dissolved solids in drinking water should not exceed 600 mg/L. Total dissolved solids (TDS) consist of inorganic salts and small amounts of organic matter that are dissolved in water. Clay particles, colloidal iron and manganese oxides and silica, fine enough to pass through a 0.45 micron filter membrane can also contribute to total dissolved solids. Pipalyatjara (South Australia) – Silica 2024/25: Pipalyatjara Silica Total 80.4mg/L (max). 2024/25 av. 77.5mg/L To minimise an undesirable scale build up on surfaces, silica (SiO2) within drinking waters should not exceed 80 mg/L. GENERAL DESCRIPTION Silica present in water is usually referred to as amorphous silica (i.e. lacking any crystalline structure). When silica is dissolved within water it forms monosilicic acid: SiO2 + 2H2O à Si(OH)4 When the concentrations of monosilicic acid increase, polymerisation of the silica occurs, forming polysilicic acids followed by formation of colloidal silica. Monosilicic acid and polysilicic acids are the forms of silica analysed when determining dissolved silica content. The deposition of silica from solutions can occur via various mechanisms. The deposition of silica that can cause the most problems for the water industry is via silica’s ability to deposit on solid surfaces that have hydroxyl (OH) groups present. Surfaces that commonly have hydroxyl groups present are glass and metallic surfaces. For example, dissolved silica will react with the surfaces of glass and begin to form a white precipitate. The silica forms silicates on the surface, resulting in silica build-up. In cases where customer complaints occur due to scale build-up, water hardness and silica concentrations should be investigated to determine the cause. Silica can be a problem in water treatment due to its ability to cause fouling of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes (Sheikholeslami and Tan, 1999, Ning 2002, Sahachaiyunta and Sheikholeslami 2002). This occurs when the dissolved silica of the concentrate becomes super-saturated, causing silicates to form in the presence of metals, and these deposit on the membrane surface. The silicate then dehydrates, forming hard layers on the membrane that reduce the effectiveness of the process… 2011 ADWG