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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of 15,000 highly toxic, synthetic chemicals resistant to heat, stains and grease, dubbed “forever chemicals” because of their inability to break down.
PFAs detected in Blue Mountains
PFAS levels were found to be about 300 times higher than Sydney’s main drinking water source but they still met Australian guidelines for safe drinking water.
Two separate motor vehicle accident sites on the Great Western Highway in 1992 and 2002 near the Medlow Bath township, and the Medlow Bath Rural Fire Brigade station were all identified as possible sources of contamination in the Adams Creek and Medlow catchments.
‘Lack of transparency’ from Sydney Water and WaterNSW
“It’s been shown that Sydney Water and WaterNSW have not been fully transparent with the PFAS testing of our local drinking water,” he told AAP.
He called for a single, independent statewide authority with comprehensive responsibility for overseeing PFAS contamination management and removal.
What happens now?
Steep terrain, potential PFAS spread over a wide geographical region and extensive disturbance of high-value ecological habitat are all flagged as barriers to remediation.
