Cobar has suffered from lack of a reliable water supply from the time of its establishment in the 1870’s.

Water supply at that time was a single small earth dam. This soon proved inadequate for the developing mines and increasing population. Large in-ground storages for rainwater, called “tanks”, were constructed but also proved inadequate, especially at times of constant drought.

Full scale development of promising mines were hampered by the lack of water, and also falling copper prices, and eventually all mines in Cobar closed.

After the turn of the century other inland communities were feeling the disadvantages from the lack of a reliable water source, and so prompted the investigation into an open water channel. The project, called the Albert Priest Channel, from Warren to Nyngan was constructed in 1942 into which runs regulated water from Burrendong Dam and the Macquarie river.

The supply of water to the township of Cobar was now a little more reliant, being trucked from Nyngan to Cobar via the railway, where townspeople gathered the water in large iron tanks or whatever receptacles they could.

With the prospect of re-opening of a mine, water supply was once again on the agenda. Two options were investigated: pumping water to Cobar from the Darling River at Louth, and pumping from the Bogan River at Nyngan. As the Bogan River at Nyngan was fed from a more reliable source, the Macquarie River, the second option was chosen.

An Act of Parliament, “The Cobar Water Supply Act, 1963” was proclaimed in 1963 setting up the Cobar Water Board. The Board was given power as a Constructing Authority, and thus given the authority to construct the pipeline and install pumping machinery to transport water from Nyngan to Cobar.

The first pipeline, a 300mm diameter pipe, was constructed in 1963. A second pipeline, 375mm diameter, was laid parallel to existing line in 1983.

With the fore-sight of a handful of citizens, Cobar now enjoys a permanent water supply for both the township and its supporting mining industry.

The Cobar Water Board, a statutory body now administered under the “Water Management Act 2000”, continues to maintain a permanent water supply by employing best practice in the planning, management and operation of its assets.