PFAS and drinking water

Your drinking water is safe

We regularly consult with WaterNSW and NSW Health to assess any potential risk to drinking water. We source most of Greater Sydney's drinking water from protected catchments like Warragamba Dam. There are no known hotspots within our catchments for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). All Greater Sydney's drinking water meets the strict Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. 

What we know about PFAS

PFAS are a group of thousands of synthetic human-made chemicals. They're used in many industrial applications as they are effective at resisting heat, stains, grease and water. Common consumer products include stain and water protection for carpets and upholstery, paper coating, cosmetics and sunscreen. Some PFAS have also been used in fire-fighting foams.

The properties that make some PFAS useful in industrial and consumer products can also make them problematic in the environment. This is because PFAS are highly mobile in water. They can travel long distances from their source, and they don't fully break down naturally in the environment.

What the guidelines say about PFAS

There are many types of PFAS. The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines specify limits for perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) and perfluorohexane sulphonate (PFHxS), and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).

• For PFOS and PFHxS, the limit is a combined total of less than 0.07 micrograms per litre (µg/L).
• For PFOA, the limit is less than 0.56 µg/L.

The Australian Guidelines are underpinned by available scientific knowledge. They are currently being reviewed for PFAS by the National Health and Medical Research Council. When the Australian review is complete, we will work with NSW Health on the impact of those changes, if any, on us.

A detailed per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) fact sheet produced by the Water Services Association of Australia outlines the process of guideline development in the Australian context.

Ongoing monitoring

We have been monitoring drinking water from the North Richmond Water Filtration Plant since 2019. All results have been below the limits specified by the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. The monitoring program includes samples collected during normal dry weather conditions and samples collected following a widespread wet weather event. 

Why we focus on North Richmond

In 2018, the community raised concerns that PFAS from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Richmond could contaminate drinking water. The North Richmond Water Filtration Plant sources raw water from the Hawkesbury-Nepean River 13 kilometres upstream of where water from the RAAF Base drains into the river. PFAS contamination at the base is subject to its own program of ongoing monitoring and remediation.
 

Ongoing monitoring results

2019 program monitoring results

We completed an initial monitoring program in 2019 of drinking water from North Richmond Water Filtration Plant. The drinking water results collected were also below the limits specified by the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.