Salty Groundwater Around Mildura in Mildura

What salty groundwater in Mildura actually involves

The Authority says salt interception schemes involve pumps that divert salty groundwater away from rivers and into evaporating basins. Its list of locations includes Mildura-Merbein. It does not say where the salt lies in relation to any street, house or bore, and this site does not either.

What to do

The Victorian Government says groundwater varies in quality from fresh drinking water to saltier than seawater, and the Commission says it is essential to test bore water to determine if it is appropriate to use. A test of the bore's own water is the only reading that applies to your bore. Ask the provider who takes the sample and which tests are run.

Rainfall adds little: the Bureau of Meteorology's record for Mildura Airport is a mean of 285.1 mm a year, and the Victorian Water Accounts say the Mallee basin relies heavily on groundwater use. The Merbein page and the Mildura page give each source.

Salty Groundwater Around Mildura in Mildura — common questions

Is Merbein's groundwater salty?

The Basin Authority lists Mildura-Merbein among the places where groundwater is particularly high in salt. It does not map the salt to any address, so test the bore's water.

What is a salt interception scheme?

The Authority says it involves pumps that divert salty groundwater away from rivers and into evaporating basins.

Does salt rule out a bore?

No source read says so. The Commission says the way you can use bore water depends on its quality, which relates to the salt levels in the water.