Bore water is water that has been drawn from a body of underground water through a deep pipe, shallow hole or well.

When rain falls on the ground, it seeps into the underground layers of soil and rock until it reaches a layer of clay or rock that it can’t pass through. Over time, the trapped water accumulates and is called an aquifer.  As the water moves through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and chemicals. In urban and agricultural areas, the aquifer may also pick up contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and microorganisms including pathogens. As such, the water quality of aquifers is variable and dependent on the geological composition, and level of development and industrialisation of the area.  The bore construction itself can also impact the quality of the water retrieved from the aquifer. If the bore is not sealed correctly, it may become contaminated from soil and debris entering the well.

Bore water can be used for irrigation or as a source of drinking water for livestock or humans. The quality of the water determines if it is fit for purpose.  Parameters of significant interest include pH, levels of dissolved salts and various metals.

SAS Laboratory offers a detailed water analysis suite which includes the most appropriate microbiological and chemical parameters from various guidelines to give an overall indication of water quality for a reasonable price.

Whilst we are unable to guarantee that your bore water is safe to drink, we are able to compare the analysis results with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG). Any exceedances of the Health or Aesthetic guideline values will be highlighted in the laboratory report.

  • Health guideline values indicate levels that will affect human health.
  • Aesthetic guideline values indicate levels at which the concentration of a particular parameter may be noticeable in taste, odour, colour or behaviour of the water, but will have no adverse effect on human health.

Samples can be analysed for additional parameters of interest.  If required, the results can be interpreted to determine if the water tested is suitable for stock and/or irrigation.

We can provide sampling services, however it is more economical to collect the sample yourself.  We can provide you with the appropriate sample containers, a sterile bottle for the microbiological tests and a non-sterile plastic bottle for the chemical tests. These are free and can be collected from the laboratory or posted to you for a nominal fee.

When taking the sample, it is very important to follow the instructions provided especially for the microbiological tests, so that no contamination occurs.  We recommend that samples are chilled after collection and delivered to our laboratory on the same day. You will also need to complete a Sample Submission Form to submit with your water samples.