WaterNSW has have chosen a site for bores that could soon supply the far west NSW city of Broken Hill.

The rural city’s main drinking water source, the Menindee Lakes, are mostly dry, and backup supplies from a weir on the Darling River is dwindling too.

The NSW Government’s water authorities are planning to set up a borefield on the bed of Lake Menindee if drinking water runs out before long-term solutions are found.

The agency’s forecasts suggest Broken Hill's surface water will run out around April 2017 if there are no new flows down the Darling River.

WaterNSW wants solutions in place before that happens.

“We want to make sure that that planning work is done early with plenty of notice, so that we can commence work no later than September,” spokesperson Tony Webber has told reporters.

“This is only in the event that the very, very dry weather conditions continue up until the 2017 April [or] May date when that surface water will be exhausted.

Mr Webber said the planned borefield in Lake Menindee could supply Broken Hill for around two years.

“This is really about making sure that we're planning, identifying things like the power supply, procuring the specialist equipment, getting that stuff to site, going to tender,” Mr Webber said.

If new river flows reach the lakes after the bores are in place, they will be able to be removed and recapped.

But the prospect of bores as a source of drinking water is quite contentious in Broken Hill.

Broken Hill and Darling River Action Group secretary Darryn Clifton has told the ABC that there are big concerns about the quality.

“I would be very hesitant to drink the water,” Mr Clifton said.

Mr Webber expects the bore water to be of good quality, but admitted it was “too early” to know what treatment it may need.