In early 2024, farmers living in proximity to the Belabula River in New South Wales (part of the Lachlan River catchment in Wiradyuri country), reported foam containing PFAS along a stretch of the river. Local residents collected samples of the foam and subsequent analysis found that the foam was detected at 1800 times the safe drinking water limit and 4000 times the 99% ecological trigger level. The pollution was reported by the ABC in August 2024 with the NSW EPA starting an investigation a few months earlier. The pollution is a major environmental headache. Could the same scenario occur in other rivers and waterways across the country?
Research in the United States has found that: Where PFAS are found in surface water, the foam associated with the surface water contamination also often contains PFAS at much higher concentrations. It is impossible to determine whether foam contains PFAS just by looking at its color, shape or size. It is also difficult to determine how PFAS concentrations in the water contribute to PFAS concentrations in foam. As some compounds found in water may concentrate in foams, it is possible that surface water with lower concentrations of PFAS can produce foam with higher concentrations of PFAS.
In May, the EPA detected PFOS along a 20km stretch of the River with levels between 20 parts per trillion to 60 parts per trillion, or 2-6 times the 99% ecological trigger level. People had initially thought that the source of the PFAS was the nearby Cadia Gold Mine, with the EPA detecting 5 seperate PFAS chemicals in a groundwater bore on the western side of the mine in May 2024 (total 0.09ug/L). The EPA also found PFOS in October 2024 in Cadiangullong creek flowing to the west of Cadia Gold Mine at 0.0026ug/L, and downstream of the contaminated bores. (Friends of the Earth is aware that for some time recycled water and possibly biosolids, from the town of Orange's waste water treatment plant has been used at Cadia. Recycled water can be contaminated with PFAS so there could be a chance that PFAS contaminated waste water has been used at Cadia). Interestingly the highest levels of PFAS detected in foam in early 2024 were taken from samples about 400m upstream on the Belabula River from the confluence of the Cadiangullong Creek and the Belabula River. How would PFAS from the Cadiangullong Creek flow upstream once it flowed into the Belabula River?
Map of area with October 2024 EPA testing samples. Cadia Gold mine is located centre left of image. A PFOS detection of 0.0026ug/L was recorded just south west of the mine in Cadiangullong Creek in October (with PFAS detected in May in bore water 4km north of the October detection in groundwater). The highest levels of PFAS foam found in early 2024 were recorded in the Belabula River south west of the mine, but upstream of the confluence of Cadiangullong Creek.
The location of the composting facility near Cowriga Creek where the EPA has recently found high levels of PFOS at 0.23ug/L (25 times higher than the 99% ecological trigger level and 88 times higher than Cadiangullong Creek), can be seen just south of Browns Creek, about 8km west of Blayney. Cowriga Creek detections south of the compost site are all highlighted in red pins. 1.5km south another testing site detected PFOS at 0.22ug/L, (a decrease of 4.4%, but still 24 times higher than the 99% ecological trigger level). Belabula detections are in light blue. The green pin is downstream of the landfill facility. PFAS has been found along 40km of the Belabula River so there are several sources, but the major entry source into the Belabula River appears to be Cowriga Creek.
Subsequent testing by the EPA in August 2024, found that the PFAS pollution had been found along 40 km of the river and well upstream of the Cadia Gold Mine tributaries. Where was the PFAS coming from? Upstream of the PFAS, was the small community of Carcoar (population 270) and further upstream the town of Blayney (population 3,000). Also upstream was the Carcoar Dam used for irrigation in the region. These towns were an obvious source of pollution and it became obvious to Friends of the Earth that there were several likely sources of PFAS, including the waste water treatment plant location south of Blayney, a compost/biosolids facility located west of Blayney, possible flurorinated pesticide use in the catchment, and a landfill also located south of the town. The waste water treatment plant may also have been receiving trade waste which also may have been a source of PFAS pollution. Orange airport may also have been a source as PFAS was detected there in 2018 and a portion of the airport lies in the headwaters of Cowriga Creek.
Location of biosolids facility near Blayney, showing it in close proximity to Cowriga Creek. Has groundwater from the site also been polluted with PFAS chemicals? Note that EPA tests from October 2024 found PFOS levels downstream of the composting facility at 255 times higher downstream of the site than a sample taken just upstream of the site.
The latest testing results announced by the EPA this week, suggest that the highest levels of PFOS detected by the EPA are coming from two sources. "The highest elevated PFOS concentrations were found in Cowriga Creek immediately downstream of a composting facility and in the Mackenzies Waterholes Creek downstream of the Blayney landfill." The Cowriga Creek flows into the Belabula River about 1.5km north west of Carcoar, possibly meaning that the Carcoar Dam has not been as impacted as much as Cowriga Creek.
Landfills can be huge sources of PFAS, as PFAS laden waste can pollute the sites indefinately. A PFOS detection of 0.016ug/L was detected downstream of this landfill in MacKenzies Waterholes Creek in October 2024.
Cadia 2024 PFAS detections. The red pins show EPA May 2024 groundwater testing sites where PFAS was detected. The blue pin shows a detection of PFOS in Cadiangullong Creek in October 2024. The 0.09ug/L was detected in bore MB2A and contained 6:2 FTS 0.03ug/L, PFHxS 0.01ug/L, PFHxA 0.01ug/L, PFOS 0.02ug/L and PFOA 0.02ug/L.
For some time Friends of the Earth has been warning about the use of biosolids on farmland. A FoE blog published in June 2024, revealed that Sydney Water transport about 130,000 tonnes of biosolids per year to be used on over 40 farms across the south west of NSW. It is likely that a large percentage is used around the Bathurst, Orange and Blayney regions. Local waste water treatment plants are also likely to be producing biosolids. The local biosolids composting company at Blayney has been in a relationship with Sydney Water since 1990 after Sydney Water was attempting to reduce sewage waste. The facility near Blayney produces about 120,000 tonnes per year.
A recent global study into biosolids found: "Due to documented PFAS contamination in agricultural lands, rigorous regulations need to be instituted to govern the application of these biowastes on agricultural lands. However, several countries lack data on the level of PFAS in the sewage sludges they generate, and there are currently few or no regulations guiding their application to farmlands."
In late November, Friends of the Earth also sent in a submission to the NSW Upper House Inquiry about PFAS pollution of waterways and drinking water supplies in NSW. In the submission FoE wrote in regards to the Belabula River pollution that "It would be interesting to understand the source of the pollution. Is the source the waste water treatment plant at Blayney or is the pollution from another source or multiple sources? Is the pollution from use of biosolids or waste management facilities in the Belabula River Catchment?"
FoE also recommended that: The NSW Government should begin intensive testing of biosolids and recycled water throughout NSW for PFAS chemicals. Testing should also include areas where biosolids have been applied in the past and should include investigations into water pollution from such areas, including farms and pine plantations. The NSW Government should test waterways downstream of landfill
facilities across the state for PFAS contamination.
In the submission, FoE also raised the question in relation to recent detections of PFAS in Bathurst's drinking water supply that "Have biosolids or recycled water been used in this catchment, sourced from waste water treatment plants in Bathurst or Sydney? Friends of the Earth has been concerned for some time about PFAS contamination from waste-water treatment plant ‘products’ such as biosolids and recycled water. Our main concerns have been regarding impacts of bioaccumulation of PFAS at farms and potential runoff associated with application of biosolids on farms."
Photo: Cliefden Caves Area - Belabula River. Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository
The contamination of the Belabula River with PFAS chemicals raises significant environmental questions about the location of a host of potentially PFAS polluting industries within catchments elsewhere in Australia. Not only does there need to be better regulation of the biosolids/compost industry and landfills, but authorities need to take a serious look at current waste water management practices in vulnerable catchments and serious attention needs to be focused on the practice of transporting city sewage waste to be 'dumped' at undisclosed sites inland. If 40km of the Belabula River has been impacted where else is this pollution occurring in Australia and for how long has it been occurring?
Our PFAS work has worked on the grand budget of $8 a day in 2024!!! Over the past month alone FoE has been interviewed on radio at least six times, in Bundaberg, Sydney, Bathurst and Bendigo and networked with communities impacted by PFAS. Three submissions into national and state PFAS inquires have also been written, as have Freedom of Information requests and GIPA requests, as well as maintaining the only PFAS map in the country.
Any donations to our PFAS and Pesticide work are much appreciated.
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