Risk assessment of increasingly acidic and saline pit lake water to stock watering. ANZECC/ARMCANZ (2000) primary industries guidelines for livestock drinking water and a literature review of the health effects of saline waters were used as guidelines to evaluate exceedances for metals, metalloids and other solutes include TDS.
Salinity modelling demonstrated that increasing salinity soon exceeded sheep and beef cattle drinking water acceptability such that the pit lake was unlikely to be used as a watering source.
Nevertheless, drinking water risk remained for goats which preferred saline to fresh water which then required further risk management.