2012/14 – Tjuntjuntjara (Western Australia) – Uranium

4 tests above ADWG Guideline 2012-2014

Monitoring for uranium in water supplies is happening at five communities where uranium levels are high. Uranium leaches naturally from soils, rocks and natural deposits, but is also released through mining processes. It is carcinogenic and high concentrations can cause kidney inflammation.
In the last two years, three communities have exceeded the safe limit of 0.017 mg/L about half the time, while Tjuntjuntjara in the Goldfields failed 18 out of 22 tests. Some of these results were up to double the safe level. To manage this, water from several bores is blended to achieve acceptable uranium levels. Since October 2014, there has been fortnightly testing at Tjuntjuntjara to better understand the raw water supply.

Western Australian Auditor General’s Report – Delivering Essential Services to Remote Aboriginal Communities – May 2015

Uranium (Information Sourced From 2011 Australian Drinking Water Guidelines)
“Based on health considerations, the concentration of uranium in drinking water should not exceed 0.017 mg/L.”

Reverse Osmosis Treatment started after 2016 – after the following figures were recorded

2016: “Housing undertakes water quality testing for microbiological and selected chemical parameters (uranium and nitrate) on a monthly basis, with a larger suite of chemical testing undertaken every 6 months. Uranium and nitrate levels are tested monthly…The main concern with the Tjuntjuntjara water supply is the variability of the chemical water quality test results of the water supply bores, specifically for uranium and nitrates. Each bore also has a certain recommended discharge rate, which means multiple bores must be used to meet the community water demand. The bore discharge rates are set to avoid the bores being pumped dry or decreasing bore water quality through increased drawdown, and are based on recommendations from test pumping performed by hydrogeologists.”

WA Tjuntjuntjara Borefield Water Analysis

TABLE 1. Underground Tjuntjuntjara Borefield: Uranium 2016 Monitoring Data

7 bores listed. 2 bores breached Australian drinking water guidelines for Uranium

Bore 1/94: 0.04mg/L (Jan 16). 0.042mg/L (Feb 16), 0.043mg/L (March 16), 0.042mg/L (April 16), 0.032mg/L (May 16)

Solar Bore: 0.04mg/L (Jan 16). 0.028mg/L (Feb 16), 0.03mg/L (March 16), 0.028mg/L (April 16), 0.027mg/L (May 16)

Reticulation 1: 0.015mg/L (Jan 16). 0.013mg/L (Feb 16), 0.013mg/L (March 16), 0.011mg/L (April 16), 0.011mg/L (May 16)

https://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/publications/tabledpapers.nsf/displaypaper/3914286c06ff730fa8f1ad4648257fe1000664ec/$file/tp-4286.pdf

“The Auditor General’s report notes that there are three communities where safe drinking water levels were exceeded for uranium (0.017 mg/L
1) (Office of the Auditor General Western Australia, 2015). Of particular concern is the remote community of Tjuntjuntjarra, where drinking water failed safe levels for both nitrates and uranium. Tjuntjuntjarra, one of five communities being monitored, has failed 18 out of 22 water quality tests for uranium. These levels are reported to be up to double the safe guideline values. The other four communities have not been named (Office of the Auditor General Western Australia, 2015).” Unsafe drinking water quality in remote Western
Australian Aboriginal communities Geographical Research 184 • May 2019 • 57(2), 178–188

“Based on health considerations, the concentration of uranium in drinking water should not exceed 0.017 mg/L.” ADWG 2011

Tjuntjuntjara (Western Australia) – Nitrate

2012/14: Tjuntjanjara (Western Australia) – Nitrate Levels: ~40mg/L-~80mg/L

Nitrate:

6 tests above ADWG Guideline 2012-2014

2 tests above ADWG Guideline 2018-2020

One in five communities exceeded safe levels for nitrates or uranium

The most significant chemical issues for water quality come from nitrates and uranium, which occur naturally and are common in the Goldfields and Pilbara. Excessive nitrates in the diet reduce blood’s ability to carry oxygen. In infants, this can cause the potentially life-threatening Blue Baby Syndrome, where the skin takes on a bluish colour and the child has trouble breathing. Housing provides bottled water for infants under three months in communities with high nitrates. Long term solutions would likely include asset replacements or upgrades or finding new water sources, or a combination of these.

In 2013-14, fourteen of 84 communities in the Program recorded nitrates above the safe health level for bottle-fed babies under three months. Two communities had readings above the standard for adults (Figure 5).

Child Heath Levels Nitrate: 50mg/L. Adult Heath Levels Nitrate: 100mg/L