PFAS
On Wednesday, 25 June 2025 the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) released updated guidelines which outline new, lower recommended values of PFAS in drinking water.
Council regularly undertakes testing in line with the current Australian Drinking Water Guidelines to ensure the water supplied to residents is safe to consume. This additional testing was implemented to test specifically for PFAS.
All drinking water sites across the Narrabri Shire comply with the updated Australian Drinking Water Guidelines which state the limit for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), as per the below table:
| PFAS |
Updated Guideline |
| PFOA |
200 ng/L |
| PFOS |
8 ng/L |
| PFHxS |
30 ng/L |
| PFBS |
1000 ng/L |
Find out more about PFAS and drinking water here.
Private bore owners
NSW Health recommends that private bore owners consider testing their groundwater. Information regarding groundwater and testing can be found at: www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/water/Pages/groundwater.aspx
EPA Bore Screening Program
As part of a statewide inquiry into per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) conducted private groundwater bore testing in the Narrabri Shire, with Narrabri Shire Council acting as a facilitator for registrations of interest.
Groundwater samples were collected in May and November 2025 from private bores who registered with interest.
In summary:
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Samples were collected from 122 private bores across 119 properties.
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PFAS was not detected above the Australian Drinking Water Guideline at any property.
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PFAS was detected at levels below the Australian Drinking Water Guideline at 12 properties.
Further information and detailed results are available on the NSW EPA website.
The Results
Bellata, Boggabri, Baan Baa, Wee Waa, Pilliga and Gwabegar all returned negative results.
Narrabri
The Narrabri town water supply relies on three bores; Killarney Bore, Tibberena Bore and Elizabeth Bore.
Currently, water sourced from the Tibbereena and Elizabeth bores is pumped to the Namoi Street Reservoir, which supplies the Narrabri township with drinking water.
The Killarney bores remain switched off after testing in early July 2025 showed Namoi Reservoir levels slightly above current guidelines.
Testing results, as shown below, have identified PFAS levels either meeting or below the updated Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
Namoi Street Reservoir testing results
July 2026
21 July 2026
Namoi Reservoir testing results - 21 July 2026
| PFHxS |
2 ng/L (below guideline of 30 ng/L) |
| PFOS |
5 ng/L (below guideline of 8 ng/L) |
| PFOA & PFBS |
Not detected |
The Tibbereena Street bore continues to supplement water supplied from the Elizabeth Street bore. The latest testing of the Elizabeth Street bore showed no detection of PFxS, PFOA or PFBS, with PFOS at 1ng/L.
The Tibbereena Street bore was at 2ng/L for PFOS, while PFHxS, PFBS and PFOA were not detected.
The Killarney bore remains switched off with testing continuing to show the bore above current guidelines. Results from 21 July 2026 saw the bore at 29ng/L for PFHxS; 24ng/L for PFOS; PFBS at 6ng/L and PFOA at 2ng/L.
Annual Shire-wide bore testing
Shire-wide testing results - 30 June 2026
Namoi Street Reservoir testing results
June 2026
May 2026
April 2026
March 2026
February 2026
January 2026
22 January 2026
| PFHxS |
4 ng/L (below guideline of 30 ng/L) |
| PFOS |
7 ng/L (below guideline of 8 ng/L) |
| PFOA & PFBS |
Not detected |
Namoi Reservoir testing results - 22 January 2026(PDF, 461KB)
The latest testing results follows the continued safe reintroduction of water from the Tibbereena Street bore to supplement water supplied from the Elizabeth Street bore (of which testing of this bore continues to show no detection of PFAS).
The Killarney bore remains switched off after testing in early July 2025 showed Namoi Reservoir levels slightly above current guidelines.
2025 Namoi Street Reservoir testing results
December 2025
| PFHxS |
2 ng/L (below guideline of 30 ng/L) |
| PFOS |
3 ng/L (below guideline of 8 ng/L) |
| PFOA & PFBS |
Not detected |
Namoi Reservoir testing results - 30 December 2025(PDF, 463KB)
The latest testing results follows the continued safe reintroduction of water from the Tibbereena Street bore to supplement water supplied from the Elizabeth Street bore (of which testing of this bore continues to show no detection of PFAS).
The Killarney bore remains switched off after testing in early July 2025 showed Namoi Reservoir levels slightly above current guidelines.
November 2025
27 November
| PFHxS |
Not detected |
| PFOS |
2 ng/L (below guideline of 8 ng/L) |
| PFOA & PFBS |
Not detected |
Namoi Reservoir testing results - 27 November 2025(PDF, 464KB)
The latest testing results follows the continued safe reintroduction of water from the Tibbereena Street bore to supplement water supplied from the Elizabeth Street bore (of which testing of this bore continues to show no detection of PFAS).
The Killarney bore remains switched off after testing in early July showed Namoi Reservoir levels slightly above current guideline
13 November
| PFHxS |
Not detected |
| PFOS |
2 ng/L (below guideline of 8 ng/L) |
| PFOA & PFBS |
Not detected |
Namoi Reservoir testing results - 13 November 2025(PDF, 444KB)
The latest testing results follows the continued safe reintroduction of water from the Tibbereena Street bore to supplement water supplied from the Elizabeth Street bore (of which testing of this bore continues to show no detection of PFAS).
The Killarney bore remains switched off after testing in early July showed Namoi Reservoir levels slightly above current guidelines.
October 2025
30 October
| PFHxS |
1 ng/L (below guideline of 30 ng/L) |
| PFOS |
2 ng/L (meets guideline of 8 ng/L) |
| PFOA & PFBS |
Not detected |
Namoi Reservoir testing results - 30 October 2025
The latest testing results follows the continued safe reintroduction of water from the Tibbereena Street bore to supplement water supplied from the Elizabeth Street bore (of which testing of this bore continues to show no detection of PFAS).
The Killarney bore remains switched off after testing in early July showed Namoi Reservoir levels slightly above current guidelines.
17 October
| PFHxS |
3 ng/L (below guideline of 30 ng/L) |
| PFOS |
6 ng/L (meets guideline of 8 ng/L) |
| PFOA & PFBS |
Not detected |
Namoi Reservoir testing results - 17 October 2025
The latest testing results follows the continued safe reintroduction of water from the Tibbereena Street bore to supplement water supplied from the Elizabeth Street bore (of which testing of this bore continues to show no detection of PFAS).
The Killarney bore remains switched off after testing in early July showed Namoi Reservoir levels slightly above current guidelines.
During the month of October, Council will continue testing the water supply weekly, the results of which will be reported back to residents.
13 October
| PFHxS |
4 ng/L (below guideline of 30 ng/L) |
| PFOS |
8 ng/L (meets guideline of 8 ng/L) |
| PFOA & PFBS |
Not detected |
Namoi Reservoir testing results - 13 October 2025(PDF, 436KB)
The latest testing results follows the safe reintroduction of water from the Tibbereena Street bore to supplement water supplies.
During the month of October, Council will continue testing the water supply weekly, the results of which will be reported back to residents.
July 2025
24 July
Namoi Reservoir testing results - 24 July 2025
7 July
| PFHxS |
4 ng/L |
| PFOS |
6 ng/L |
| PFOA & PFBS |
Not detected |
These latest results follow mitigation of the water supply after initial July testing showed the Namoi Reservoir slightly above the current guidelines, with a PFOS level of 9 ng/L (only just above the new Australian Drinking Water Guidelines of 8 ng/L).
The PFxS level of 6 ng/L remained well below the updated guidelines of 30 ng/L.
1 July
| PFHxS |
6 ng/L |
| PFOS |
9 ng/L |
| PFOA & PFBS |
Not detected |
In line with recommendations from NSW Health, Council conducted an investigation into this slight elevation of results, switching off the Tibberena bore.
As per advice from NSW Health, given the very conservative nature of the health-based guideline values, deviations over a short period do not necessarily mean that the water is unsuitable for consumption. Further, as the guideline values are intended to minimise risk over a lifetime, any short-term exposure to PFAS concentrations above the guideline values are unlikely to change this risk.
December 2024
What next?
Council will continue to undertake regular testing across the Shire to monitor PFAS levels in our water supplies.
FAQS
What are PFAS?
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.
Where do PFAS come from?
PFAS was developed in the 1950s to make products that resist heat, stains, grease, and water. They are often found in furniture and carpets treated for stain resistance, foams used for firefighting, packaged food containers, make up, personal care products, and cleaning products.
What water supplies were tested in the Narrabri Shire?
Council has undertaken sampling at all reservoir sites across the local government area including:
- Pilliga
- Bellata
- Gwabega
- Boggabri
- Baan Baa
- Wee Waa
- Narrabri
Private bore owners
NSW Health recommends that private bore owners consider testing their groundwater. Information regarding groundwater and testing can be found at: www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/water/Pages/groundwater.aspx
Who sets the standards for safe drinking water in NSW?
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has developed 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.
Narrabri Shire Council has a drinking water management plan that sets out our daily operations and critical control points on how we meet Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
Will exposure to PFAS make me sick?
Most Australians will have some PFAS present in their bodies due to the common use of PFAS in products. People can be exposed to PFAS through food, water, air and skin contact.
There is currently limited evidence of human disease or other risks to health from low level PFAS exposure. For information about exposure to PFAS and the possible health effects, see the Australian Government PFAS fact sheet.
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