‘Forever chemicals’ force dam shut down
A small dam separated from NSW drinking water supply by a filtration centre has been closed off because of cancer-linked forever chemicals.
WaterNSW announced on Wednesday Medlow Dam would be shut off from the network as a precaution.
The dam is between the towns of Medlow Bath and Blackheath, about 35km west of Penrith.
It does not supply raw water directly, but feeds into the Cascade water filtration plant.
Water from the plant that feeds into the surrounding communities is safe to drink, the authorities say.
Preliminary results indicate Medlow Dam is the only part of the Blue Mountains dam network returning elevated results of PFAS.
PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances), or forever chemicals, are man made, and do not break down fully in the environment.
Four other dams feed into Cascade, and those four will be subject to ongoing and targeted investigation and monitoring of PFAS.
“WaterNSW will keep the community informed as the investigation progresses and work closely with NSW Health and Sydney Water to ensure drinking water remains safe,” it says in a WaterNSW statement.
The water from the five dams that feed the Cascade water filtration plant at Katoomba is filtered, before supplying the middle and upper Blue Mountains.
Specialist water scientists will be looking for the source of the chemicals, as well as additional contaminations.
PFAS chemicals have been used in various products such as stain and water protection for carpets, no-stick cookware, paper coatings, cosmetics, sunscreen and firefighting foams since the 1950s.
They are widely used because they are resistance to heat, stains, grease and water; but that is why they do not break down.
Exposure to specific PFAS chemicals has been associated with an increased risk of testicular and kidney cancer.
