Safe Water

Water tanks in paddock

The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines ensures Australians have some of the highest quality and safest drinking water in the world.

But what happens when scheme water is not available at your property?

  • Water tanks are a vital resource on properties in rural areas of Western Australia where scheme drinking water is not available. Water tanks may also be installed for homes in urban areas
  • Bore water comes from groundwater which in turn comes from rain that has naturally seeped into the ground and is stored in spaces between soil and rocks. The layers and bodies of water in these underground spaces are known as aquifers. Most of the water used in Western Australia comes from groundwater
  • Water filtration units are an excellent way to ensure water quality is maintained if you have a private water supply. There are a variety of treatment systems that can remove contaminants in drinking water. However, not all treatment systems are able to remove both microbiological and chemical contaminants and a combination of different treatment systems may be required.
The Shire of Capel offers free bacterial water monitoring for residents who are serviced by a rainwater supply. For more information in relation to this complimentary service, contact the Shire’s Health Services on 08 9727 0222 and ask to speak to one of our friendly Health Officers to organise a sampling date and time.

Emergency treatment of drinking water supplies is sometimes required when a private water supply becomes contaminated. This can happen as a result of animal faeces on drinking water capture areas, bushfires, or any number of other contamination factors.

Recreational/Environmental Water Quality Monitoring

The Shire of Capel undertakes water quality monitoring for both environmental management and public health purposes.

Shire of Capel Staff member testing water sample

Capel is home to some of the South West’s best beaches and to make sure they are safe for all people to use; the Shire’s Environmental Health Officers monitor the water quality from November through to April.

Water quality monitoring is also undertaken in natural streams such as the Preston River (Boyanup) and Capel River (Capel).

Monitoring determines the health of the water to ensure the public enjoy the many waterways in the Shire of Capel, monitoring also ensures the preservation of plant and animal life and prevention of issues such as algal blooms in water.