Please do not use bore water in this area

Chemicals from historical industrial activity have contaminated the groundwater Thebarton and Mile End. These chemicals include volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE) and its degradation products, dichloroethene (DCE), and vinyl chloride (VC). Other chemicals include arsenic, naphthalene and metals including uranium.

Chlorinated hydrocarbons are extremely persistent in the environment and natural degradation is expected to take centuries. They are denser than water and leach through soil and groundwater. They are volatile, carcinogenic and present a potential risk to human health if groundwater is utilised for drinking, showering, washing, filling swimming pools, watering lawns or irrigation of edible produce.

Naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) is present in any ore, tailings or waste material containing uranium. NORM is also within other materials and mineral deposits such as, coal, bauxite, phosphate rock, tin, gold and rare earth element deposits. NORM is naturally present everywhere in the environment, and can be found in all soils and groundwater in the Adelaide metropolitan area. It is also present in the human body and all living tissues.

Generally, the Radiation Protection and Control Act 1982 is administered by the EPA. The Act does not recognise low levels of radioactivity and exempts NORM below a certain level for the purposes of regulation. This is in part due to low levels of radiation being only a fraction of natural exposures and regarded as safe.