Hunter Water has confirmed their local supply meets new draft PFAS guidelines set out by the National Health and Medical Research Council today.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as forever-chemicals or PFAS, are a human-made compound that makes products resistant to heat, stains, grease, and water.
Due to their widespread use, almost everyone will have some exposure to PFAS in their lifetime.
New proposed limits suggest lowering the acceptable levels of PFAS that is safe in drinking water over a lifetime of consumption without posing serious risk to AUSSIES HEALTH.
The parameters are currently up for public consultation until November 22 , allowing guideline users, experts, governments and the public to provide information and evidence that will assist NHMRC in finalising the guideline values.
NHMRC has stated the information available shows that most water supplies are already below the lower, proposed guideline values, and these values are based on minimising risk over a lifetime’s worth of exposure. However in light of the proposed changes, Hunter Water has reviewed their historical water quality monitoring data and confirmed their water supplies meet both the current and proposed future PFAS guidelines, and is safe to drink.
The local water utility released a statement outlining their commitment to high quality drinking water across their distribution network.
“Hunter Water is committed – as we are always – to supplying high-quality safe drinking water that complies with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG). Our operating licence, issued by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART), requires us to comply with the ADWG and IPART audits us each year to evaluate overall compliance with the operating licence.
“Under our extensive water quality monitoring program Hunter Water routinely tests for PFAS in all our drinking water supply zones.We report all detections over 0.002 micrograms per litre, or 2 parts per trillion, which is our independent laboratory’s limit of reporting. The testing program confirms that drinking water supplied by Hunter Water is safe and meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.”
For more information from NHMRC here.
Image: Chichester Dam – supplied.