The remote Aboriginal community of Numbulwar is situated on the Gulf of Carpentaria, approximately 440 km east of Katherine in the Northern Territory.  Home to around 800 people, the community is reliant upon groundwater sourced from Quaternary coastal sands in palaeochannels west of the community.  In response to ongoing concerns about the long-term reliability of the existing borefield, Federal funding was obtained from the National Water Grid Authority and the Bores for the Bush program to enable an investigation to be undertaken with the objective of securing the future water supply for the community.

Our Groundwater team, specialising in regional and remote water supply strategies, was engaged to lead the technical investigation by Power and Water Corporation which aimed to assess both the potential to extend the current borefield and the viability of alternative groundwater sources.

The project resulted in five new groundwater production bores and 11 new groundwater monitoring bores.  The new borefield to the north of the community is expected to significantly enhance the water supply capacity and provides an important alternative strategy for potential water quality degradation of the existing borefield due to future contamination or seawater intrusion. 

Neadurrin Murrungun, a Traditional Owner from the Numbulwar region, visited as a cultural advisor whilst drilling was in progress and expressed strong interest in the project and its importance for the community’s water supply.