Queensland farmer reports cloudy well amid 96-million-litre water extraction plan

For generations, a Queensland farming family relied on a well that had supplied water for around 140 years. But in 2019, farmer Keogh says the water turned muddy and cloudy after a neighbouring property began test-pumping groundwater. Now, plans for a commercial bottling and processing facility near Warwick have intensified concerns among local farmers, as an existing licence permits the site to extract up to 96 million litres of groundwater a year. More than a dozen farmers are opposing the proposed expansion, fearing it could threaten water supplies and worsen drought conditions. The developer, however, has previously argued that extraction would not affect nearby properties.A 140-year-old family well raises concerns over changing water qualityKeogh's well had supplied water for around 140 years, spanning several generations of his family on the Queensland property. He described its water as clear before the change he reported in 2019. Since then, he has stopped drinking from it, saying the water became muddy, milky and cloudy after pumping tests were carried out on neighbouring land.The farmer believes the change may be connected to the activity next door, although the reported ...