Alice Springs
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Alice Springs was originally established as a repeater station for the Overland Telegraph. A semi-permanent waterhole in the Todd River was the stations sole water source. Although named Alice Spring, it is in fact not a true spring but merely a waterhole not connected to the main watertable.
Telegraph Station waterhole, Alice Springs
As the town became established south of the telegraph station, shallow wells were dug. These tapped gravel aquifers in a small alluvial basin, locally referred to as the "Town Basin". During World War II a reticulated water supply was constructed for defence with shallow bores as the source.
In the early 1960's the "Town Basin" was almost depleted which lead to the exploration for and discovery of an alternate water source in the Mereenie Sandstone 12km south of the town. Subsequently the use of the old source was discontinued in the late 1960's.
The Mereenie Sandstone is part of the Palaeozoic aged Amadeus Basin. The towns production bores are typically 200 metres deep and pump 80 litres per second.
Geology of the Roe Creek borefield
