The first 20 rainwater tanks will be installed by the Defence Department on Katherine region properties by December 1.
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Defence has promised to have the tanks ready for the wet season.
A second job lot of 25 rainwater tanks will be installed soon after.
Rainwater tanks are seen as a more practical and cheaper option than weekly runs of bottled or boxed water.
Defence today confirmed 45 Katherine properties had been deemed eligible for the rainwater project because of PFAS contamination of their drinking water supplies.
To be eligible for consideration property owners must meet the following criteria:
- be located inside the Investigation Area; and
- do not have a town water connection; and
- rely on the use of a bore water with a water test result that is above the recommended PFAS Health Based Guidance Value for drinking water; and/or
- source drinking water from a rainwater tank that contains, or has in the past contained, bore water which has a PFAS test result above the HBGV for drinking water
Defence today said it had introduced several measures to manage PFAS in the Katherine Region.
The interim PFAS water treatment plant, alternative water supplies for eligible residents and rainwater tanks for eligible residents.
Defence is providing alternative water to 52 properties in the Katherine region that are not connected to town water.
“Many of these properties are eligible to receive rainwater tanks and are expected to transition to rainwater tanks before the end of the wet season,” the defence spokesman said.
Further information on Defence’s management activities is available at: defence.gov.au/Environment/PFAS/ManagementActivities.aspFirst rainwater