Barossa Reservoir Location 1 – Pesticides Detected.

Atrazine: 2.1ug/L (11 Dec 97), 2ug/L (22/1/98), 2ug/L (19/2/98), 2ug/L (19/3/98), 2.38ug/L (16/4/98), 2.1ug/L (14/5/98), 1.54ug/L (11/6/98), 1.63ug/L (9/7/98), 1.92ug/L (23/7/98), 1.96ug/L (30/7/98), 1.69ug/L (3 Aug 98), 1.63ug/L (6 Aug 98), 1.7ug/L (20 Aug 98), 1.87ug/L (3 Sep 98), 1.75ug/L (17 Sep 98), 1.25ug/L (1 Oct 98), 1.46ug/L (15 Oct 98), 1.33ug/L (29 Oct 98), 1.4ug/L (4 Nov 98), 1.34ug/L (11 Nov 98), 1.58ug/L (18 Nov 98), 1.39ug/L (25 Nov 98), 1.24ug/L (2 Dec 98), 1.5ug/L (9 Dec 98), 1.57ug/L (16 Dec 98), 1.38ug/L (23 Dec 98), 1.33ug/L (30 Dec 98), 1.6ug/L (6 Jan 99), 1.49ug/L (13 Jan 99), 1.46ug/L (20 Jan 99), 1.29ug/L (27 Jan 99), 1.38ug/L (3 Feb 99), 1.53ug/L (10 Feb 99), 1.47ug/L (17 Feb 99), 1.8ug/L (24 Feb 99), 1.6ug/L (3 Mar 99), 1.5ug/L (10 Mar 99), 1.8ug/L (17 Mar 99), 1.8ug/L (24 Mar 99), 1.8ug/L (31 Mar 99), 1.7ug/L (7 Apr 99), 1.6ug/L (15 Apr 99), 1.6ug/L (22 Apr 99), 1.6ug/L (12 May 99), 1.6ug/L (19 May 99), 1.4ug/L (25 May 99), 1.4ug/L (2 Jun 99), 1.3ug/L (9 Jun 99), 1.4ug/L (16 Jun 99), 1.5ug/L (23 Jun 99), 1.5ug/L (30 Jun 99), 1.5ug/L (7 Jul 99), 1.5ug/L (14 Jul 99), 2.2ug/L (21 Jul 99), 1.3ug/L (28 Jul 99), 1.5ug/L (4 Aug 99), 1.3ug/L (11 Aug 99), 1ug/L (18 Aug 99), 1.2ug/L (25 Aug 99), 1.1ug/L (1 Sep 99), 1.6ug/L (8 Sep 99), 1.1ug/L (15 Sep 99), 1ug/L (13 Oct 99), 1.1ug/L (11 Nov 99), 0.9ug/L (16 Dec 99), 0.8ug/L (13 Jan 00), 0.9ug/L (17 Feb 00), 0.9ug/L (16 Mar 00), 0.7ug/L (13 Apr 00), 0.7ug/L (11 May 00), 0.6ug/L (15 Jun 00), 0.6ug/L (13 Jul 00), 0.5ug/L (17 Aug 00),

Hexazinone: 1.5ug/L (11 Dec 97), 1.55ug/L (16 Apr 98), 1.67ug/L (3 Sep 98), 1.46ug/L (17 Sep 98), 1.12ug/L (1 Oct 98), 1.59ug/L (15 Oct 98), 1.43ug/L (29 Oct 98), 1.55ug/L (4 Nov 98), 1.96ug/L (11 Nov 98), 1.73ug/L (18 Nov 98), 1.15ug/L (25 Nov 98), 1.41ug/L (2 Dec 98), 1.25ug/L (9 Dec 98), 1.37ug/L (16 Dec 98), 1.43ug/L (23 Dec 98), 1.35ug/L (30 Dec 98), 1.43ug/L (6 Jan 99), 1.24ug/L (13 Jan 99), 1.45ug/L (20 Jan 99), 1.2ug/L (27 Jan 99), 1.44ug/L (3 Feb 99), 1.61ug/L (10 Feb 99), 1.62ug/L (17 Feb 99), 1.6ug/L (24 Feb 99), 1.7ug/L (3 Mar 99), 1.6ug/L (10 Mar 99), 1.6ug/L (17 Mar 99), 1.5ug/L (24 Mar 99), 1.6ug/L (31 Mar 99), 1.5ug/L (7 Apr 99), 1.4ug/L (15 Apr 99), 1.4ug/L (22 Apr 99), 1.5ug/L (12 May 99), 1.3ug/L (19 May 99), 1.9ug/L (25 May 99), 1.4ug/L (2 Jun 99), 1.3ug/L (9 Jun 99), 1.4ug/L (16 Jun 99), 1.6ug/L (23 Jun 99), 1.3ug/L (30 Jun 99), 1.5ug/L (7 Jul 99), 1.4ug/L (14 Jul 99), 1.5ug/L (21 Jul 99), 1.4ug/L (28 Jul 99), 1.4ug/L (4 Aug 99), 1.3ug/L (11 Aug 99), 1.5ug/L (18 Aug 99), 1.3ug/L (25 Aug 99), 1.3ug/L (1 Sep 99), 1.4ug/L (8 Sep 99), 1.6ug/L (15 Sep 99), 1.1ug/L (13 Oct 99), 1.2ug/L (11 Nov 99), 0.9ug/L (16 Dec 99), 1ug/L (13 Jan 00), 1ug/L (17 Feb 00), 1ug/L (16 Mar 00), 0.8ug/L (13 Apr 00), 0.7ug/L (11 May 00), 0.8ug/L (15 Jun 00), 0.9ug/L (13 Jul 00), 0.8ug/L (17 Aug 00), 0.7ug/L (21 Sep 00).

Simazine: 0.5ug/L (23 Jun 99)

“… ATRAZINE ENTERING WATER FROM FORESTRY ACTIVITIES The Environment Protection Authority has recently been advised by the SA Water Corporation that the herbicide atrazine has been detected in the Barossa Reservoir continuously since September 1997 and that normal water filtration processes have not been able to remove atrazine from the water supply system. It is also understood that investigations conducted by SA Water since June 1998 have indicated that: water in South Para and Warren Reservoirs contains atrazine at similar concentrations to that found in the Barossa Reservoir…In accordance with the objects of the Environment Protection Act 1993, which provide for application of the precautionary principle, and the general environmental duty contained in Section 25 of the Act, the Authority directs Forestry SA to cease the use of Atrazine and other herbicides in all of the proclaimed water protection areas within the Mt Lofty Ranges until such time as a management plan is developed by Forestry SA to the satisfaction of the Authority which seeks to avoid herbicides entering water bodies from forestry areas…” Letter from Executive Director EPA to General Manager Forestry SA 3 August 1998

“… Atrazine was detected by SA Water at Barossa Reservoir last September [1997], but it was only made public through a press release issued after 11pm on Tuesday [15 Sep 1998]. The notification followed an EPA investigation which found the contamination had travelled down creek beds from the SA Forestry plantation to the Warren, South Para and Barossa Reservoirs…” The Advertiser Sep 17 1998

“In order to guarantee the safety of the water supply, SA Water has initaited powdered activated carbon treatment of the water produced by United Water at Barossa Water Treatment Plant. It is expected that this treatment will enable levels in the Barossa distribution system to be maintained below analytical limits. This will be verified by WTP product water analyses…” SA Water Briefing Note 55/98 16 July 1998.

“… Samples from streams draining through the plantation areas (which then drain into Warren Reservoir) show herbicide levels around 150ug/L, which are up to six times the level recommended for drinking water. These levels are also significant from an environmental viewpoint and the EPA is likely to take an active interest. Dosing of powder activated carbon has been instigated at Barossa Water Treatment Plant in order to prevent the herbicides passing into supply. At present, herbicide concentrations in the treated water leaving Barossa plant are below the limit of detection (currently 1.2ug/L) against the guideline (0.5ug/L) and health limits (20ug/L) set within the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. Provided the herbicide concentrations in the raw water entering the Barossa treatment plant remain below around 2-3ug/L, existing powder activated carbon dosing at the plant is expected to remain effective in controlling herbicide levels in treated water. Dosing costs are currently $30,000 per month. Should herbicide concentrations increase significantly then further temporary dosing facilities will need to be installed at the plant and dosing costs will also increase significantly…” SA Water Briefing Paper – No. 69/98 29 July 1998.

“SA Water continues to dose powder activated carbon (20mg/L) into the raw water entering Barossa WTP in order to ansure that no herbicides reach customers. Product water analyses have demonstrated effective removal…” SA Water Briefing Paper – No. 113 10 September 1998

“Atrazine was regularly dropped by helicopter near most of the state reservoirs to control weeds in new forestry plantations. In late 1997, large quantities leached into Warren Reservoir after heavy rain dissolved clay pellets coated with the chemical…” The Advertiser Jan 24 2001

“Forestry SA has stopped using a herbicide linked overseas to cancer, says Government Minister Michael Armitage. The department ceased treating new pine plantations with Atrazine in May 1998…Since the early 1970’s, Forestry SA has used to bomb new pine plantations around reservoirs with herbicides containing atrazine… SA Water spent an estimated $700,000 in 1998 treating contaminated water with an expensive chemical before it was released for drinking water supplies. The corporation wanted to sue Forestry SA to recover the cost …” The Advertiser January 10 2001

A State Government department was ordered to stop using potentially carconogenic herbicides after its operations contaminated drinking water supplies. The Environment Protection Authority issued the edict to Forestry SA in August 1998 after herbicides were traced to new pine plantations near the Barossa Valley…” The Advertiser January 24 2001

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