Latest guidance on PFAS and drinking water
The NSW Government welcomed the National Health and Medical Research Council’s June 2025 publication of the updated Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, which confirmed new, lower values for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Australian drinking water supplies.
The NSW Government confirmed from testing conducted in 2024 or 2025 that all NSW public drinking water supplies – across metropolitan and regional areas – meet the updated Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
All Sydney Water and Hunter Water drinking water supplies meet the updated Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and these utilities have a regular testing regimen in place to ensure water is safe to drink.
All 83 local water utilities in regional NSW who supply areas not serviced by Sydney and Hunter Water also met the updated guidelines, based on testing conducted in 2024 or 2025
In regional NSW, risk-based monitoring is now in place to ensure the NSW Government and local water utilities can respond promptly to any concerning results.
On a NSW Health recommendation, all 83 local water utilities tested their drinking water supplies in 2024. To further assess the risk, NSW Health recommended that all local water utilities also undertake testing of source water and drinking water in 2025 to help determine the ongoing frequency of PFAS testing in drinking water.
More information on PFAS in drinking water
PFAS chemicals - or per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances - are synthetic chemicals found in many everyday products. They have been widely used in many industrial and consumer applications as they are effective at resisting heat, stains, grease and water.
These substances are highly mobile in water and often referred to as "forever chemicals" because they break down extremely slowly in the environment.
Importantly, the NHMRC has stated that any PFAS detections above the guideline values, like the detection of many other water quality characteristics, should not be viewed as a pass/fail measure, but should trigger investigation and guide monitoring and response actions.
What we are doing in NSW
We recognise there is community concern about PFAS levels, particularly in our state’s waterways.
Where there are recorded peaks in PFAS levels in drinking water, the NSW Government is committed to taking action.
Looking forward, as we and other jurisdictions learn more about PFAS, our management of and response to the contaminant will continue to update in line with the latest evidence.
PFAS is ubiquitous in our environment and at elevated levels, the NSW Government takes response actions seriously.
However, the presence of PFAS does not necessarily mean that there is an immediate risk: many people are exposed to small amounts of PFAS in everyday life through its use in products like non-stick cookware, clothing, fast food packaging, make-up and personal care products.
What is useful to assess is levels that have accumulated in our environment as well as possible exposure pathways for humans which is where this ambient testing data will be valuable.
NSW Government supports national efforts to through Australia’s Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS) to reduce PFAS and other environmentally hazardous chemicals being used in Australia, reducing exposure pathways and environmental levels over time.
PFAS testing results
The NSW Government is committed to transparency, ensuring the community has access to up-to-date information, and supporting water utilities to deliver safe drinking water.
As confirmed by recent and ongoing testing, all water currently supplied by Sydney Water and Hunter Water complies with existing Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and remains safe to drink.
The NSW Government is working to ensure all NSW water supplies – in metropolitan and regional areas – are equipped with long-term solutions to ensure regular PFAS monitoring and treatment.
This includes in the Blue Mountains, where the NSW Government understands residents have concerns about their supply after 2024 testing showed the presence of PFAS in drinking water at the Cascade Water Filtration Plant.
A number of measures have been put in place and according to the most recent monitoring results, NSW Health and Sydney Water have advised drinking water in the Blue Mountains meets the updated Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and is safe to drink.
Local water utilities
Local water utilities are responsible for testing and communicating with the community about drinking water monitoring results and water quality issues. The results of PFAS testing are expected to be available on local water utility websites.
While these local water utilities meet the new drinking water guidelines currently, ongoing work and longer term investment is required to maintain current levels. The NSW Government will work with councils to ensure appropriate long-term measures are put in place.
Refer to the relevant utility websites for more information.
Who sets the standards for safe drinking water in NSW?
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has developed and updated the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
The NHMRC is Australia's leading expert on public health and medical research. It bases its decisions on the latest scientific evidence, ensuring that guidelines are up to date and safe. It is a trusted independent body, with no commercial interest.
NSW follows these national guidelines, which are underpinned by available scientific evidence. They are used by state and territory health departments, drinking water regulators, local health authorities, and water utilities.
Water quality is one of the primary risks that local water utilities manage when providing safe drinking water every day.
Every local water utility has a drinking water management system that sets out their daily operations and critical control points on how they meet Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
More information
- National Health and Medical Research Council Review of PFAS in Australian drinking water webpage.
- Media release - NSW Government welcomes NHMRC updated guidelines for PFAS in drinking water (25 June 2025)
- PFAS and health effects: For information about exposure to PFAS and the possible health effects, read the Australian Government PFAS fact sheet
- PFAS and food standards: For information on guidance regarding tolerable daily intake and food guidance for PFAS, visit the Food Standards Australia New Zealand webpage
- NSW Health information on PFAS here
- The NSW Environment Protection Authority is leading an investigation program to assess the legacy of PFAS use across NSW. More information here
- Sydney Water PFAS information, including monitoring results, here
- Water NSW PFAS information here
- Hunter Water PFAS information webpage here