Likely sources of ‘forever chemicals’ found in Blue Mountains drinking water catchment revealed

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Two historical petrol tanker fires are the likely source of so-called ‘forever chemicals’ in the Blue Mountains drinking water catchment. That is according to a preliminary report by Water NSW which also found a rural fire station was a potential source of the P-FAS contamination.

Transcript

00:00A fiery explosion after a petrol tanker crashed at Medlow Bath more than three decades ago.

00:11Dozens of firefighters battled the blaze using hundreds of litres of firefighting foam.

00:17Ten years later, a tanker carrying thousands of litres of fuel also crashed.

00:22These two events have been identified as the likely source of PFAS chemicals found in two

00:28nearby water storage dams in the Blue Mountains.

00:32The local fire station is another potential source.

00:35This investigation shows that the people of the Blue Mountains have been drinking toxic

00:40tap water for decades now.

00:43Water NSW commissioned the report after PFAS was detected in Lake Medlow and Lake Greaves

00:48last year.

00:49The dams were disconnected from the drinking water supply, while the agency tested for the

00:54chemicals at 37 sites throughout the catchment.

00:56So this chemical signature was consistent with aqueous firefighting foam, which we know

01:01is used for firefighting purposes.

01:04The agency says the two dams will stay shut off until mitigation measures can be put in

01:09place.

01:10More investigation is needed now.

01:12Now that we understand the location of the source of contaminants, we need to work with

01:16other agencies, including NSW Health.

01:19PFAS chemicals have been linked to cancer and other chronic health conditions, and local campaigners

01:25say the report leaves many unanswered questions.

01:28They cannot tell us when the drinking water contamination began.

01:32They cannot tell us how high the levels of toxic chemicals are that we have been drinking over

01:37that time.

01:38The findings also back up claims PFAS chemicals remain in the environment.

01:43In this case, 32 years after the original contamination event.

01:48We have been given the advice by the health authorities, and they are the experts, that whilst ever the

01:52drinking water supplied meets the current Australian drinking water guidelines, then it is safe to drink.

01:57Water NSW says testing of its other storage dams has so far shown the PFAS contamination is limited

02:04to the Medlo catchment.

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