Domestic garden bores

A garden bore will deliver huge savings on your scheme water use. If used responsibly and located in an area away from the ocean, river systems and wetlands, bores can be an environmentally friendly way to keep your garden healthy.

To ensure garden bores are installed in suitable areas, the Department of Water has developed a map of areas suitable and unsuitable for additional garden bores.

A number of factors were taken into account before determining which areas were unsuitable including:

• salinity levels expected to be greater than 3 000 ppm
• proximity to river or ocean and possible ingress of saline groundwater
• proximity to conservation wetlands
• potential for unreliable supply due to clay soils or crystalline rock
• potential for development of acid sulphate soils.

From 1 July 2008 waterwise rebates for new garden bores, offered as part of the state-wide water efficiency measures, will no longer apply in areas designated unsuitable.

For sites that are eligible, a waterwise rebate of $300, or 50 per cent of the installation cost for a new bore (which ever is the lesser amount), is available per residential property, to the owner of the property.

The rebate only applies for successful bores that deliver water.

Rebates are not available for bore maintenance, new pumps, reticulation, or shared bore hook-up to an existing bore.

Electrical work for all bores must be in accordance with the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991.

Shared Bore

Properties sharing a bore must be adjoining to be eligible for the rebate. The installation cost will be shared equally between the properties connected. You should make a formal agreement with your neighbour(s) when sharing a bore.

For example:

Cost of bore = $1,300
Therefore combined maximum rebate = $650

No. of Properties Connected to Bore  Rebate	Per Property
1	$300
2	$300
3	$216

Rebores

A $300 rebate is also available where an existing bore has to be redrilled and lined to make it operational again. A minimum of $600 must be spent on the rebore (not including pump, electrical or reticulation costs).

For details on licensed drillers in your area call 08 9382 5783. To find out if a bore is suitable for your suburb call the waterwise helpline on 13 10 39.

A copy of the garden bore suitability map is available below.