Drinking Water Monitoring

Drinking Water 

Have you ever wondered what makes the water coming from your taps in your home safe and reliable for your family to drink? Next time you turn the tap on, take a moment to consider the story behind tap water for those residents living in our communities connected to a town water scheme.

The Warrumbungle Water team manages town water supplies across the Shire as per Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, and our Regulatory Services team monitor town water supplies weekly.

Drinking water starts out from either an underground water source, a river, or from surface water collection into a dam. This raw state of water needs to be treated to ensure the water is safe to use and is then referred to as potable water.

How do we ensure town water is safe to drink?

When the clear and treated water enters the town water reticulation system the chlorine content is measured to make sure it is at an appropriate level. Chlorine levels need to be monitored to ensure they are high enough to provide protection against harmful bacteria but not too high as to create an uncomfortable taste.

Additionally, weekly water samples at designated sites are taken across the Shire by one of our Compliance Officers. These samples are sent away for a comprehensive analysis to a NSW Health laboratory. NSW Health will notify Council if the sample results are noncompliant with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines so corrective action can be taken by staff. The samples are distinguished between microbiological samples and chemistry samples.

The microbiological samples are analysed for the presence of harmful microorganisms - the indicator organism that the samples are tested for is called E. coli. At the same time the samples are also tested for their chlorine content. The frequency with which microbiological samples are taken is dictated by NSW Health and depends on the size of the township. In Baradine, Coolah, Coonabarabran, and Dunedoo microbiological samples are taken weekly, fortnightly in Binnaway and Mendooran, and monthly in Bugaldie and Kenebri.

The chemistry samples are taken every six months from the water supply system in each town and village. These samples are chemically analysed for their physical properties such as hardness and pH, and also for the presence of trace elements, salts, and metals. 

Water Supply Testing For PFAS

What is PFAS

PFAS is an acronym for a group of complex synthetic chemicals called Per – and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. The most common chemicals described under the heading of PFAS Chemicals included include the following:

• Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA);
• Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)

There is in excess of 10,000 different PFAS chemicals in existence.

PFAS chemicals exhibit unique physical and chemical properties which resulted in their mass production commencing in the 1950s. Favourable properties of the PFAS group inclusive strong resistivity to heat, stains, grease, and water. Some common products which contain PFAS chemicals include the following:

• Fire fighting foams;
• Textiles and leather products;
• Metal plating;
• Food packaging;
• Shampoos;
• Cosmetics;
• Sunscreens;
• Denture cleaner;
• Coatings and coating additives;
• Photographic and lithographic processes;
• Medical devices;
• Hydraulic fluids;
• Carpets;
• Waterproof clothing;
• Non-stick cookware;
• Pesticides;
• Fertilises;
• Floor polishes

Why is PFAS a concern?

PFAS chemicals are of concern because they persist for extremely long periods of time in the environment and have been associated with adverse environmental and human health outcomes. PFAs chemicals will also bioaccumulate in living organisms, meaning over tome the concentration of PFAS chemicals when consumed will accumulate. The strong environmental persistence of PFAS is due to the extremely strong chemical bonds associated with the chemical.

PFAS is now of particular concern as exposure to PFAS chemicals can be harmful to human health. Knowledge around this subject is limited due to the level of global research conducted on the topic, however, exposure to certain levels of PFAS may lead to:

• Reproductive effects;
• Developmental effects in children;
• Increased risk of some cancers;
• Reduced ability of the body’s immune system to fight infections;

There are various environmental exposure pathways to PFAS for humans, inclusive of drinking water as well as absorption through the skin.

Changes to the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines

On 14 June 2024, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), which is the organisation responsible for the management of the ADWG, confirmed that a review of the ADWG would be completed with specific focus on health concentration limits for PFAS in drinking water, having regard for the recommendations establish by the US EPA. On 24 October 2024, the NHMRC released draft updated guidelines for PFAS, the guidelines have been publicly exhibited. The proposed and existing concentration limits for PFAS chemicals are outlined in the table below.

Table 1: PFAS Concentration Limits as specified in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines

¹ There are 1 million nanograms in one milligram. Milligrams are the most common units for expressing concentrations in water chemistry.

It should be noted that in establishing concentration limits specified in the ADWG it is assumed that 10% of a person’s exposure to PFAS is due to drinking water. It is estimated that 90% of PFAS exposure is estimated to come from sources other than drinking water.

How Will Council Address Concerns Relating to PFAS

Council has completed a PFAS risk assessment in regards to PFAS contamination of public water supplies managed by Council. Further testing will be undertaken on an ongoing annual basis as part of Council’s regular water quality monitoring program.

Results

Refer to the below links to access historical PFAS, Microbiology and Chemistry testing results.

In the past, there has been the occasional Boil Water Alert for some towns across the Shire. NSW Health issues a Boil Water Alert if a test result indicates chlorine levels need to be checked, or a possible contamination of the water. A Boil Water Alert recommends residents to boil all water for drinking and cooking purposes until otherwise notified. The Warrumbungle Water team will respond quickly to any incident that may lead to a Boil Water Alert.

What do we do to further improve drinking water quality?

Your drinking water quality may be impacted by deposits originating from old cast iron pipes or dead ends in the water reticulation system. This may mean the colour, taste or odour of the water is different to what you normally see when you turn on the tap. To remediate such drinking water concerns, Council allocates in the budget each year funds for water mains replacements and mains extensions, including removal of dead ends in water pipelines. At known problem areas Council staff also flushes the water mains regularly and tests the water to ensure it is in line with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

Why do I experience discoloured water or taste and odour problems and what can I do?

Discoloured water (brown/muddy appearance) can be caused by sediment in the water main or may be due to rust from old cast iron mains or galvanised pipes forming part of the property internal plumbing. Sediment and brown water from rusting cast iron pipes can be cleared by Council staff flushing the local water main. Brown water from rusting galvanised property internal pipework can be managed by flushing internal taps or by seeking advice from a licenced plumber.

To determine if the water discolouration stems from internal piping or from the water supply main, a simple test can be conducted by taking 2 clean white buckets or containers and filling one of them up from a tap near your water meter and a second from a tap furthest from the meter. If the sample from the further tap is more discoloured it is most likely an internal plumbing problem of the pipe rusting.  

Generally, the rusted piping will also impart an unpleasant (e.g. metallic) taste on the water, particularly in tea and coffee, and could even lead to a reduction in a property's water pressure and flow. This is due to the fittings and pipes becoming choked with rust flakes and particles. Rusted piping can also leave stains on washing. The best solution to alleviate this problem is to replace the old pipes with new alternative material pipes; some small sections may be hard to access however, such as elbows, joints or piping in concrete walls. A licensed plumber can advise on the best course to take.

Taste and odour problems can also be experienced as a result of chlorination. Chlorine disinfection is an essential part of the process for delivering safe drinking water and has been used effectively around the world for over one hundred years as part of the water treatment process.

Some customers prefer not to drink water if they can smell chlorine. A way of easily and safely removing chlorine from your water is to fill a jug with water and put it in your fridge (out of direct sunlight). The chlorine will naturally dissipate from the water. After a few hours the chlorine will have mostly disappeared.

Council endeavours to provide clean safe drinking water for the whole community and appreciates being notified via phone call or email of any issues so that we can have the opportunity to rectify the issue.