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The freshwater lens on Home Island in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Created 17/10/2025

Updated 17/10/2025

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Groundwater resources have been investigated on Home Island, in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Indian Ocean, to assess the prospects of developing a reticulated water supply and sewerage system for the settlement there. Home Island is part of the South Keeling atoll and contains a lens of fresh groundwater overlying sea water. Measurements of water-levels in existing wells, and levelling with respect to mean tide-level, indicate that theoretically the freshwater lens is up to 19 m thick, and averages about 15 m over an area of about 30 hectares. Allowing for tidal fluctuations and for periods of drought, the sustainable yield of the aquifer would be about 200 000 litres per day. Recommendations have been made for the development of the aquifer by pumping from infiltration galleries; pumping should reduce the lens thickness by no more than half if saltwater contamination is to be avoided.

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Additional Info

Field Value
Title The freshwater lens on Home Island in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/77d60e8e-eafa-4722-b602-e64f5b2840cb
Contact Point
Geoscience Australia Data
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period 20/04/2018
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
{
  "coordinates": [
    [
      [
        96.7,
        -12.3
      ],
      [
        97.0,
        -12.3
      ],
      [
        97.0,
        -11.8
      ],
      [
        96.7,
        -11.8
      ],
      [
        96.7,
        -12.3
      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Geoscience Australia

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Geoscience Australia "The freshwater lens on Home Island in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://ecat.ga.gov.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/the-freshwater-lens-on-home-island-in-the-cocos-keeling-islands