ONE council has apologised to its community as work to fix a contaminated water supply is expected to take an additional three months to complete.
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Uralla Shire Council has been working with the state government to remove arsenic that has leached into the town's water storage at Kentucky Creek Dam.
A solution has been identified, but its installation will take about three months to complete.
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The town was moved to bottled water about four weeks ago when the contamination was identified.
The council's acting general manager, David Aber, apologised to the community for the extended delay.
"The initial assessment was based on adjusting the existing treatment processes to reduce the arsenic to acceptable levels and provide a speedy resolution," Mr Aber said.
"However, it now appears this is not the case due to the molecular structure of the arsenic.
"I would like to apologise to the community for this extended timeframe to meet drinking water supply guidelines."
Mr Aber said a "do not drink alert" would remain in place for 100 days and he appreciated the community's efforts to date.
"We remain committed to providing safe drinking water as soon as possible, but it will take longer than originally expected and I want to prepare the community for this," he said.
A "granulated activated carbon filter" will be installed at Uralla's water treatment plant to help reduce the arsenic levels.
Bottled water will continue to be funded by the NSW government and distributed behind Foodworks Uralla and from Invergowrie Store.
"We will be providing regular updates on the work we are undertaking to resolve this issue, and I encourage the community to check our Facebook page and website for the most up-to-date information," Mr Aber said.
"I'd also like to encourage residents to contact us directly by phone or email so we can help with any questions or concerns."
Level 5 restrictions remain in effect.
