Page 8 - 2018 Coober Pedy Visitor Guide

Coober Pedy Today

The Opal Capital of the World

Coober Pedy and its surrounds is often Water Supply
described as being moon-like, with its
landscape dotted with shafts and mullock The region’s low rainfall along with no
permanent natural water source prompted
heaps from opal mining activities. The the 1922 Government to construct an
township offers all the facilities expected in underground water tank to hold 500,000
a large country town as well as numerous gallons (approx. 2 million litres). This
opal shops. As many of the buildings are supply remained unreliable so the State
partially or completely underground, a map Government in 1967 developed a solar
or guide is recommended to help you find desalination plant to produce fresh water
your way around. from salty water pumped from 100m
below the surface. However, this did not
Population produce enough water and was often
The District Council of Coober Pedy damaged by high winds.
estimates the population to be around Since 1985, a modern water desalination
2,500. Approximately 60% of the people plant using a reverse osmosis process has
are of European heritage, having migrated been operated by the Coober Pedy District
from southern and eastern Europe after the Council. Raw water is pumped from 60m
deep artesian bores located 23 km north
Second World War. In all, there are more east of Coober Pedy, via a 200mm pipeline
than 45 nationalities represented creating a alongside the Oodnadatta Road to the
very ethnically diverse community. town water tanks. Bore water pumps
operate automatically via radio signals
Industry and Income transmitted from the town Treatment
Coober Pedy is a major regional service Plant. The water quality is now excellent.
centre for Outback South Australia, with For travellers, a coin operated water
essential services including medical, dispensers are available on Hutchison
health, welfare, law and order, education Street.
and leisure. The four main industries are
opal mining, tourism, primary production Coober Pedy Area School
and support services. Together with nearby
Andamooka and Mintabie, Coober Pedy Pre-school to Year 12.
produces 85% of the world’s opal supply. Coober Pedy Area School is offering a qual-
ity education for preschool to year 12 stu-
The Coober Pedy Hospital dents. It incorporates a child parent centre,
innovative programs, community connec-
Part of the Whyalla Eastern Eyre and Far tions, and modern facilities. A range of
North Health Services. Our hospital is a 24 pathways are available, including tertiary
bed facility with 14 acute beds, 10 high level study, school to work, VET and apprentice-
residential aged care beds. Our staff work ships. Our students represent 49 different
in close partnership with community health cultures, with one-third of the enrolment
services and Aboriginal health providers to being made up of Aboriginal students.
ensure that optimum care is delivered to all We are an accelerated literacy school and
areas of the community. use a method of teaching that helps stu-
dents to read and write complex texts.
Coober Pedy
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