This week in water, new national guidelines tackle the persistent presence of PFAS in drinking supplies, and a world-first nanomaterial could help communities harvest water straight from the air.
Across Australia, utility upgrades, youth development programs and climate leadership are paving the way for smarter, more resilient water services.
Internationally, a landmark study turns conventional wisdom on its head with the revelation that glass beverage bottles may be more contaminated with microplastics than plastic ones.
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Stronger safety benchmarks as PFAS guidance updated
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has released revised guideline values for four per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water, responding to growing scientific understanding and public concern around these widely used, long-lasting chemicals.
PFAS are commonly found in firefighting foam, non-stick cookware, textiles and food packaging. While their resilience makes them useful in many industries, this same property has raised concerns over environmental accumulation and human exposure.
Find more information here on the new health-based values in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
NHMRC CEO Professor Steve Wesselingh said: “Since we put out our draft PFAS values in October, we’ve seen many water suppliers test their sources to provide greater reassurance to the public that their drinking water is safe".
"It is critical to note that the vast majority of our national water supply is below this guidance even though we’ve taken a conservative approach… Higher values in drinking water for short periods is unlikely to increase health risks,” he said.
New WaterRA website connecting research and users
Water Research Australia has launched a complete website overhaul to improve access to research, insights and technical resources. The redesign includes enhanced search capabilities, simplified navigation, and a streamlined member login platform.
The upgrade comes as WaterRA continues to position itself as a key connector between academic research and real-world application, particularly as utilities and regulators increasingly turn to science-backed decision-making.
Users can now access the new platform, with support available for those needing help accessing their accounts or navigating the site.
$200 million wastewater plant opens in Sydney’s southwest
Sydney Water has officially opened its upgraded West Camden Water Resource Recovery Facility, which now doubles the treatment capacity of the former plant. The $200 million project will support up to 70,000 new homes as part of southwest Sydney’s rapid expansion.
Minister for Water Rose Jackson led the ribbon-cutting ceremony, accompanied by Camden MP Sally Quinnell and Sydney Water Acting Chief Executive Paul Plowman.
Gippsland Water invests in youth with school-based trainee
Year 11 student Xavier from Kurnai College has joined Gippsland Water through a school-based apprenticeship and traineeship (SBAT) program – the first of its kind for the utility.
Xavier works one day a week in Gippsland Water’s Environment and Healthy Country team, while also attending TAFE and school. The program leads to a Certificate III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management and provides real-world experience alongside academic credit.
Managing Director Sarah Cumming said: “We’re creating opportunities for local students to get hands-on experience while completing their studies… This program gives young people early exposure to environmental careers, which are increasingly important for our future workforce”.
Yarra Valley Water named among Asia-Pacific’s top climate leaders
For the third year running, Yarra Valley Water has secured a place on the Financial Times Asia-Pacific Climate Leaders list – ranking as the region’s highest-performing water corporation and leading Australian utility on the list.
Managing Director Pat McCafferty said: “Being included on the Climate Leaders list highlights the dedication of our employees who are driving real change… Environmental sustainability isn’t just a goal – it’s part of how we deliver essential services”.
TasWater report highlights service gains and future challenges
TasWater has welcomed the latest annual State of the Tasmanian Water and Sewerage Industry Report, which tracks progress across infrastructure, quality and sustainability metrics.
Key results include 100% microbiological compliance in drinking water systems for 2023–24, and zero boil-water alerts for the second consecutive year – despite the challenges of managing a vast and remote network.
General Manager Customer and Community Matt Balfe said: “We manage more than 225,000 water connections, 11,400 km of mains and nearly 40% of the treatment plants run by major water utilities in Australia… We’ve also reduced unaccounted for water from 28.1% to 24.5%, thanks to a major push on metering and detection”.
Glass bottles contain more microplastics than plastic, study finds
New research released by France’s food safety agency has found that drinks packaged in glass bottles may actually contain more microplastics than those in plastic or metal containers – due largely to the painted polymer linings used on glass bottle caps.
“We expected the opposite result,” said PhD student Iseline Chaib. “We then noticed that in the glass, the particles emerging from the samples were the same shape, colour and composition as the paint on the outside of the caps that seal the glass bottles”.
The findings challenge widespread assumptions about glass as a safer, more sustainable packaging option and could prompt a reassessment of materials used in food and beverage packaging.
Breakthrough nanomaterial pulls water from thin air
An international team led by the University of New South Wales and the National University of Singapore has developed a new nanomaterial that can rapidly harvest drinking water from air – holding over three times its weight in moisture and doing so more efficiently than existing commercial technologies.
Associate Professor Rakesh Joshi of UNSW said: “Our technology will have application in any region where we have sufficient humidity but limited access to or availability of clean potable water.”
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