WaterNSW has unveiled the latest water testing results from its ongoing investigation into the source of elevated levels of PFAS detected in Medlow Dam in the Blue Mountains.
The New South Wales dam manager said that the results are in line with the last round of testing, which showed negligible PFAS levels in untreated, raw source water supplied from Blue Mountains dams (excluding Medlow Dam, which is currently isolated from supply).
Sydney Water and NSW Health have advised that Sydney’s drinking water meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and is safe to drink.
WaterNSW said it will keep the community informed as the investigation progresses and continues to work closely with NSW Health and Sydney Water to ensure drinking water remains safe, and that monitoring results will be published monthly.
Raw, untreated water is not supplied directly for use as drinking water but is supplied to Sydney Water for treatment.
Sydney Water’s Head of Laboratory Services, Julia Bartlett, confirmed that Sydney’s drinking water remains well within the stringent safety standards set by the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG).
According to Ms. Bartlett, all recent water samples were significantly below the ADWG limits for PFAS.
Sydney Water is also working to reassure customers that drinking water is not the primary source of PFAS exposure.
Everyday products such as sunscreen, food packaging, and certain clothing are more likely to contribute to PFAS levels in the environment and human exposure.
“Our customers can be assured the quality of water delivered to taps after treatment consistently meets the guidelines,” Ms. Bartlett said.
The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines apply solely to water treated for human consumption, and Sydney Water takes extra precautions to ensure test accuracy.
Featured image: Phillip Wittke/shutterstock.com.
