Salt Action Salinity has long been recognised as a problem in rural areas. However, it also affects towns and cities across New South Wales.
Salinity is caused by rising watertables.
A watertable is the upper surface of groundwater below which the layers of rock, sand and gravel are saturated with water. The watertable usually remains many metres below the Earth's surface. Land clearing, over-irrigation and disruption of natural drainage lines contribute to rising watertables. A watertable rising towards the surface carries with it dissolved salts that are normally locked in the soil and rock. These salts accumulate at the surface, causing salinity problems.