Western Plains Local councils have put their drinking water under the microscope and come back with the ‘all-clear.’

Warren Shire Council released an update before Christmas, assuring residents that local drinking water is free of any issues related to Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).

This follows the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) release of proposed guideline values for PFAS in drinking water in late October.

NSW Health offered to assist all local government areas with testing following the release.

Warren Council took that offer up and conducted extensive testing of all bores supplying water to Warren, Nevertire and Collie. 

These tests confirm that PFAS levels in Warren’s drinking water are well below the proposed thresholds.

The NHMRC’s new guidelines are still under public consultation and will not be finalised until April 2025. However, Council took proactive measures to ensure peace of mind for the community. 

Warren Shire Council Mayor Greg Whiteley said, “we are committed to providing safe, clean drinking water to our residents. These results confirm that Warren Shire’s water supply meets the highest standards of safety and quality with regards to PFAS.” 

PFAS are man-made chemicals used in many everyday products, from non-stick cookware to cosmetics and fire-fighting foams. Due to their persistence in the environment, PFAS can sometimes be detected at very low levels in water supplies.

“Our residents can have confidence in the quality of their water,” said Council’s acting General Manager Stephen Glen. “We acted promptly on NSW Health’s recommendation for initial screening, and the results demonstrate the integrity of our water infrastructure.” 

A NSW parliamentary inquiry into PFAS in waterways and drinking supplies began in early December. 

Bourke water gets the all-clear

Bourke Shire Council also tested its community water and came out well.

A report from General Manager, Leonie Brown said testing of the drinking water in both Bourke and Enngonia showed that it was low in PFAS’s levels and met both Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and draft guidelines from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

“Such advice was certainly pleasing, and it will be interesting to see the outcome of the Parliamentary Inquiry, with the Select Committee required to deliver its report to Parliament by June 2025,” Ms Brown said.

All NSW councils have been offered support from government agencies to test their water, amid fears that the lack of knowledge on what is leaking into our water systems, is of great concern.

A map of sites under watch after higher concentrations of PFAS chemicals were discovered. This map can be found under the NSW Government PFAS Investigation Program.

Experts warn communities in regional NSW are vulnerable to PFAS contamination in their water supplies, due to a lack of testing transparency. 

Unsafe levels of the cancer-linked chemical were discovered in regional areas in the Blue Mountains and Warialda Shire this year, prompting calls for immediate assessment of all the State’s drinking water.