Penola (South Australia) – Arsenic
Highest SA Water levels 2000-12: 12/8/03 Penola 0.039mg/L and 0.02mg/L 13/7/04.
7/08/2001 Penola Arsenic 0.014mg/L
12/08/2003 Penola Arsenic 0.039mg/L
16/09/2003 Penola Arsenic 0.012mg/L
13/07/2004 Penola Arsenic 0.02mg/L
Arsenic: Australian Drinking Water Guideline = 0.01mg/L
Arsenic is bioaccumulative and symptoms may take 10-15 years to develop after expsoure at high levels. Drinking water can be contaminated with inorganic arsenic through wind blown dust, leaching or runoff from soil, rocks and sediment. Groundwater sources such as bores will usually have higher arsenic levels than surface water. In major Australian reticulated water supplies concentrations of arsenic range up to 0.015mg/L, with typical values less than
0.005mg/L. https://www.health.qld.gov.au/ph/documents/ehu/2676.pdf
Penola – (South Australia) – Hardness
2018/19: Penola (South Australia) – Hardness 240mg/L (max), 231.25mg/L (av.)
2018/19: Penola (South Australia) – Hardness as CaCO3 320mg/L (max), 308.5mg/L (av.)
2019/20: Penola Total Hardness as CaCO3 327mg/L (max), 317.75mg/L av.
2019/20: Penola Calcium Hardness as CaCO3 244mg/L (max), 237.25mg/L av.
2022/23: Penola Total Hardness as CaCO3 243mg/L (max), 237.5mg/L av.
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.”
Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2011
Penola (South Australia) – Total Dissolved Solids
2018/19: Penola (South Australia) Total Dissolved Solids 670mg/L (max), 660mg/L (av)
2019/20: Penola Total Dissolved Solids (by EC) 678mg/L (max), 665mg/L av.
2022/23: Penola Total Dissolved Solids (by EC) 672mg/L (max), 666.25mg/L av.
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.
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.
Total dissolved solids comprise: sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, sulfate, bicarbonate, carbonate, silica, organic matter, fluoride, iron, manganese, nitrate, nitrite and phosphates…” Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2011
2024/25 Penola (South Australia) – Iron
30/9/24 – Penola Gordon Street (South Australia) – Iron 3.073mg/L (max), 2024/25 (av.): 0.389mg/L
28/1/25 – Penola May Street (South Australia) – Iron 1.136mg/L (max), 2024/25 (av.): 0.167mg/L
23/9/24 – Penola Portland Street (South Australia) – Iron 1.146mg/L (max), 2024/25 (av.): 0.151mg/L
Based on aesthetic considerations (precipitation of iron from solution and taste),
the concentration of iron in drinking water should not exceed 0.3 mg/L.
No health-based guideline value has been set for iron.
Iron has a taste threshold of about 0.3 mg/L in water, and becomes objectionable above 3 mg/L. High iron concentrations give water an undesirable rust-brown appearance and can cause staining of laundry and plumbing fittings, fouling of ion-exchange softeners, and blockages in irrigation systems. Growths of iron bacteria, which concentrate iron, may cause taste and odour problems and lead to pipe restrictions, blockages and corrosion. ADWG 2011
