Water Bore Drilling in Griffith — questions and answers
Short answers on household and stock bores around Griffith: what needs an approval, who grants it, what happens once the bore is built, and why the water needs testing before it is used. Every rule is a NSW government source's own, with its read date. This site sets no prices.
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How much does water bore drilling cost in Griffith?
We do not answer that with a price, because no government source sets one. The approval comes first and has an application fee, and the only figure this site could read was published in 2016, so ask for the current amount. Depth, which the NSW fact sheet says depends on the geology beneath your property, and any pumping test move the quote more than anything else. Ask for a written quote and what it assumes about both. The costs page sets out each rule with its source. The costs page's Griffith water bore costs and rules check lists the NSW rules that can apply to a household or stock bore, each with its source.
Does a household bore need a water entitlement?
No. Basic landholder rights let owners and occupiers take water for household consumption and non-intensive stock watering without a water access entitlement. Building the bore still needs a water supply work approval, and a meter may be required if the bore is also used for other kinds of regulated water take.
A bore near Griffith
What a bore owner may notice, and what the sources say is behind it
Six things in the order an owner meets them, each tied to a NSW source's own words and the date it was read.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The water runs clear and you want to drink it | The fact sheet says groundwater is untreated and should not be considered safe for human consumption without proper treatment.Note that groundwater is untreated and should not be considered safe for human consumption without proper treatment. | NSW Department of Primary Industries (Water), Domestic and stock bores fact sheet, August 2016 · read |
| The water tastes of salt | A NSW Department of Primary Industries report on the irrigation area says its groundwater is in general highly saline. The report is regional and older than a year.The groundwater in the MIA in general is highly saline and is not suitable for agriculture. | NSW Department of Primary Industries, Farming Systems in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, May 2005 · read |
| Water sits close to the surface in a low spot after the irrigation season | The same report puts the rise down largely to irrigation practices.Largely because of irrigation practices, the groundwatertables in many locations are now close to the surface. | NSW Department of Primary Industries, Farming Systems in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, May 2005 · read |
| A reading of the water level in the bore differs from one season to the next | The report says groundwater tables tend to be higher in March than in September, unless winter rainfall is high.Seasonally, groundwatertables tend to be higher in March than in September, except when there is high rainfall in winter. | NSW Department of Primary Industries, Farming Systems in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, May 2005 · read |
| A casing top sits low in a paddock that has flooded before | The national construction standard says casing in an area of potential flooding should be raised above flood level, or completely sealed. It is a should, read at South Australia's publisher.If the bore is located in an area of potential flooding, the casing should be raised above flood level. If this is not feasible, it should be completely sealed to prevent the entry of floodwater. | Minimum Construction Requirements for Water Bores in Australia, fourth edition, 2020 · read |
| An old bore stands unused in a paddock | The NSW Department says an unused bore is decommissioned so that it is safe and contaminated water cannot enter it.decommissioning bores which are no longer being used to ensure they are safe and contaminated water cannot enter the bore. | NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Frequently asked questions about domestic and stock rights · read |
Each row names its source and the date it was read. None is a test of your water or a promise about any approval.
Process
Does the approval come before or after drilling?
Before. A 2016 NSW fact sheet says a water supply work approval must be obtained before any drilling occurs, and that you are responsible for checking the driller's current NSW authority, and its class, before you engage them.
What happens when the bore is built?
Your drilling contractor must submit a Form-A, the bore completion report. The fact sheet says that once it is submitted you can begin operating the bore to take water for household and stock supply.
Timing
How quickly can someone get to me?
We cannot promise a time. It depends on the provider's bookings. Form and phone enquiries are passed to a local provider, who contacts you directly.
Can I drink the water from a bore?
Not until it has been tested and treated. The fact sheet says groundwater is untreated, and NSW Health advises that water used for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene should be tested and treated, including disinfection. The NSW Department says it is your responsibility to ensure water you take under household and stock rights is safe for use.
Permits and approvals
Does a bore need Council approval, and is Griffith groundwater salty?
The approval to construct a bore is the NSW Department's and WaterNSW's, not a Council's; this site has not read a Griffith City Council rule for bores, so ask the Council whether it adds anything. On salt, a NSW Office of Water overview dated April 2011 says much of the water in the Lower Murrumbidgee's regional aquifers is too saline for productive purposes. It is regional and old and cannot speak for your address: only a test can.
Source: NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Basic landholder rights bore; NSW Office of Water, Murrumbidgee catchment overview (April 2011); read 6 October 2026.
Service area
Which suburbs do you cover?
Griffith and the surrounding villages, for household and stock bores only. Four pages are written around one sourced fact each: Yenda, Hanwood, Bilbul with Widgelli, and Willbriggie. Water for irrigating a crop or orchard needs a different entitlement and a different provider, and is not covered here.
Do you drill the bores yourselves?
No. This site is run by a marketing company, which passes each enquiry to an independent qualified local provider. The provider inspects, quotes and does any work itself; we have no rigs, crews or plant.
Thanks — we have your enquiry. Someone will be in touch shortly. Prefer to talk now? Call (02) 9072 0403.
Last reviewed · Updated · First published