This post was originally published on Sustainability Matters
Sydney Water’s newly commissioned mobile PFAS treatment unit at Cascade Water Filtration Plant (WFP) has started to reduce the levels of PFAS during the first month of a new treatment trial.
Recent testing indicated that water processed through the mobile PFAS treatment has reduced PFAS levels below the proposed Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG).
Sydney Water Managing Director Roch Cheroux said this swift result affirms Sydney Water’s commitment to continue delivering safe and high-quality drinking water across the network.
“Our teams worked around the clock to deliver this important work at Cascade WFP, and to see the results start to shift is a testament to their efforts,” Cheroux said.
The $3.4 million mobile PFAS treatment plant, which treats four megalitres (ML) of water per day, will remain in use for up to three years as part of a strategy to treat water in the Blue Mountains catchment.
Using granular activated carbon (GAC) filters and ion exchange technology, the mobile PFAS treatment plant harnesses the latest technology to remove PFAS from the water.
Prior to the installation of the mobile PFAS treatment plant, the water produced at the Cascade WFP was compliant with the current ADWG. The mobile PFAS treatment plant will ensure compliance with the proposed ADWG.
“We have been testing the treated water from Cascade weekly and publishing the results on our website for the public to view,” Cheroux said.
The mobile PFAS treatment unit at Cascade Water Filtration Plant.
“With the mobile PFAS treatment plant online, the results have shown a continued decline in PFAS concentrations and Sydney Water is confident the concentration of the PFAS in the water produced at the Cascade WFP will soon be consistently below the proposed guidelines.
“We will continue testing the treated water at Cascade to provide the Blue Mountains community with confidence in the quality of their drinking water, and to demonstrate Sydney Water’s commitment to delivering water that meets the highest standards,” Cheroux said.
Member for the Blue Mountains Trish Doyle said she is excited to see the mobile PFAS treatment unit in operation.
“I welcome this positive news and the tireless efforts by Sydney Water to assure the Blue Mountains community every effort is being made to deliver safe drinking water of the highest quality,” Doyle said.
The treatment trial is part of Sydney Water’s Long Term Capital and Operational Plan (LTCOP) — an adaptive roadmap designed to deliver essential upgrades and new infrastructure across the network through to 2050.
The LTCOP proposes an investment of more than $30 billion over the next decade to ensure Sydney Water can continue providing safe, sustainable and reliable water services to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding city.
“Our LTCOP prioritises public health, environmental sustainability and economic efficiency to allow us to maintain the highest level of service that our customers expect,” Cheroux said.
The final PFAS guidelines will be published by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in April 2025. Once released, Sydney Water will work closely with NSW Health to implement the guidelines and ensure compliance to any updated regulatory requirements.
Top image caption: Sydney Water’s Water Quality Manager, Corinna Doolan, at Cascade Water Filtration Plant, next to the mobile PFAS treatment unit.
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