More test bores are going into the ground at Bluff as Invercargill City Council works to understand a potential alternate water supply for the city and Bluff.
Council general manager water services Matt Keil said the Bluff Alternate Water Supply project aimed to strengthen the community's resilience in the event of an emergency or disruption to its existing water supply source.
Invercargill and Bluff rely on a single source of water, the Ōreti River, with capacity for just a few days' worth of water to be stored in the city's existing network. Two test bores and two production wells have been in place on-site since 2021. Two more test bores are now being installed to enhance data collection.
"This work is a long-term investment in Invercargill and Bluff's future water security, and our community's essential infrastructure. The installation of these bores on site is a real milestone, as we transition from the planning phase into the long-term testing and investigation," Keil said.
Earlier investigations identified a deep groundwater resource on-site, with the potential to provide high-quality drinking water.
"The monitoring points will help us better understand the aquifer, including groundwater levels, the quality of the water column, and how the aquifer performs and behaves, particularly in relation to its surrounding environment," Keil said.
Drilling works for the test wells are expected to be completed by early next year, subject to weather and ground conditions. Groundwater pumping and monitoring is then expected to continue for about three years to further understand the water source and support long-term planning.
"We need to gather as much data as we can, and assess what the wider impacts of drawing water from the underground aquifer might be, so that we can determine if the site is going to be a feasible option for our community in the future. The information we collect now will be essential for future groundwater testing, and any consenting or design work as the project progresses," Keil said.