Final PFAS drinking water rules to keep drinking water safe

The Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) has welcomed the release of the final Australian Drinking Water Guideline values for PFAS by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

The new guideline values are similar to the draft values proposed by the NHMRC in October 2024 and follow feedback received from water, health, and scientific stakeholders, as well as local community members. They include:

Final guideline values for the three PFAS in the previous guidelines (PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS);
A new level for an additional PFAS chemical – PFBS;
The final values are the same as the draft, except PFOS, which has gone from 4 ng/L to 8 ng/L.

The release of the final guideline values coincides with new government restrictions that take effect on July 1 for the importation of major PFAS chemicals into Australia.

WSAA makes these observations about the new drinking water guideline values on PFAS:

The guideline values apply to treated drinking water, not to raw water sourced from dams, rivers, reservoirs and other storage facilities.
The guideline values indicate the amount of a substance a person can consume over their lifetime without incurring any increased health risk.
The values are very conservative, include a wide range of uncertainty factors that always err on the side of safety, and reflect the latest evidence to protect public health.
The NHMRC advises that the measures should not be viewed as a pass/fail mark, but rather as a trigger for further action or investigation.

WSAA Executive Director Adam Lovell stated that recent PFAS testing across the country has shown that the vast majority of treated water sources will meet the new NHMRC drinking water guidelines.

“We welcome the completion of this review phase, so that we can now implement the updated guideline values,” Lovell said. “The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and the continual expert review process are part of our rigorous, independent and scientific system that helps ensure drinking water is safe. WSAA supports the approach of NHMRC, following the World Health Organisation processes, and has been adopted specifically for the Australian context as it relates to PFAS. The NHMRC members are the experts in their fields, advised by top independent experts in health, epidemiology, and toxicology.”

“Protecting water quality and public health is the highest priority for water providers around the country,” Lovell said. “The water sector is highly regulated, and we employ and work with some of Australia’s top water quality and scientific experts. Recent testing shows that most water supplies in Australia are already below these new guideline values. However, water utilities around the country will continue to test our drinking water. If any results are near or exceed the Australian Drinking Water Guideline values, then water providers take immediate action such as isolating, treating and protecting drinking water supplies.”

Ban or restrict PFAS in non-essential consumer products
Implement mandatory labelling and disclosure requirements
Develop and implement a National Contaminants Strategy
Implement national coordination of source control, monitoring, and remediation of contaminants

Lovell said stronger government action on primary source control was needed to reduce the level and impact of PFAS chemicals in our environment.

“PFAS chemicals enter our environment and drinking water supplies through everyday products and chemicals, made overseas and imported here,” he said. “We need stronger action to stop the thousands of PFAS chemicals from entering our country and ending up in products on the shelves of supermarkets and warehouses. We look forward to seeing the Government’s ban on the importation of four main PFAS chemicals coming into place on July 1. However, there are thousands of known PFAS chemicals worldwide. We need similar action, where practical, to prevent the use of new PFAS chemicals here.”

Lovell said WSAA is now reviewing the new guidelines closely to assist its members, including smaller, rural-based water utilities, in implementing them and continuing to manage their water supplies safely and protect public health.

Read the industry fact sheet on PFAS and other supporting material here.

Final new guidelines for PFAS levels in Australian Drinking Water Guidelines

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has released final Australian Drinking Water Guidelines values for four types of PFAS chemicals in Australian drinking water. The guidelines indicate the amount of PFAS in drinking water that a person can consume over their lifetime without incurring any increased health risk.

The NHMRC is an independent statutory body comprising Australia’s leading experts in health and medical research. It is comprised of State and Commonwealth Chief Medical Officers, public health officials, and other medical professionals. The review of the guidelines was led by a committee of independent experts in the areas of water quality, water chemistry, microbiology, toxicology, and other relevant fields, as well as leading scientists. The review process for PFAS has been taking place since 2023.

State and territory-based health authorities and water utilities follow guidelines and establish testing and treatment practices for treated drinking water sources.

NHMRC indicated that drinking water is only one of many sources for possible PFAS exposure, so higher values in drinking water for short periods are unlikely to increase health risks. The draft guidelines are health-protective and include assumptions appropriate to the Australian context. The health-based guideline values are very conservative and include a range of uncertainty factors, which always err on the side of safety.

New final guidelines for PFAS chemicals

Chemical	Previous ADWG level	Final updated level
PFOS	70 ng/L or 70 parts per trillion (Less than 0.07 micrograms per litre of PFOS and PFHxS combined)	8 ng/L (Less than 0.008 micrograms per litre)
PFHxS		30 ng/L (Less than 0.03 micrograms per litre)
PFOA	560 ng/L, or 560 parts per trillion (Less than 0.56 micrograms per litre)	200 ng/L (Less than 0.2 micrograms per litre)
PFBS		1000 ng/L (Less than 1.0 micrograms per litre)

One nanogram per litre (ng/L), or one thousandth of a microgram (μg) per litre, is the same as one part per trillion (ppt). It equals roughly one drop in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Water Quality Testing

Water utilities in each state and territory regularly test drinking water to ensure it is safe for the public to consume. Testing plans are set in consultation with health regulators. Testing covers a wide range of physical, chemical and biological characteristics at all stages of the supply system. Testing and analysis are performed to strict guidelines to prevent cross-contamination of samples.

Recent test results confirm that treated drinking water across the country is within the existing PFAS guideline levels and, in almost all cases, meets the new final guidelines. Water utilities will now collaborate with their health regulators to implement the final NHMRC guidelines, including reviewing their testing practices for PFAS chemicals and undertaking new testing if necessary. If elevated PFAS levels are detected or guidelines exceeded, then appropriate action will be taken.