Forbes Shire Council has secured a $300,000 grant to start looking at the future of our water filtration plant.
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Parliamentary secretary for Western NSW Rick Colless announced the funding on a visit to Forbes last week.
On a tour of the plant, visitors learned that on a typical summer's day Forbes' water filtration plant pumps out 14 million litres of drinking water.
A media release from then Minister for Regional Water Niall Blair said the grant would fund assessment and planning for replacement of the plant, built in 1938 and upgraded in 1964.
Deputy Mayor Jenny Webb said the funding would go a long way toward the study, expected to cost about $500,000.
Forbes already on-sells water to the communities of Trundle and Tullamore. The scoping and planning study will look at a new water treatment plant for Forbes and surrounding communities, including parts of Parkes and Lachlan shires, the council's Director of Engineering and Technical Services John Zannes said.
It will also look at the feasibility for different options for separate water treatment for the river and bore water as this will provide more flexibility and the treatment for each could be quite different, he said.
Mr Colless said water security was more important now than ever.
"We know that NSW is facing one of the driest periods on record, with ongoing drought conditions impacting not just our farmers, but our communities as well," Mr Colless said.
