Citizens Planning Legal Action Against NSW Government and Sydney Water due to Alleged 'Erin Brockovich-style Contamination Scandal'
Locals in a popular tourist destination are demanding complimentary screenings for dangerous 'eternal chemicals' in their bloodstream, following a major probe revealing they've consumed contaminated water for decades.
These chemicals, known as PFAS or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, consist of around 15,000 synthetic substances that are resistant to heat, stains, and oil, earning them the nickname 'forever chemicals'. Owing to their persistence, they don't readily break down.
Significant contamination was detected in the water catchment supplying 30,000 people in the Blue Mountains, NSW in late 2024. PFAS concentrations were approximately 300 times higher than in Sydney's primary water source, still within Australian guidelines for safe drinking water.
A WaterNSW investigation, released last Friday, identified three potential sources of contamination, dating back 33 years.
John Dee, an environmental activist with decades of experience, labelled the fallout as an "Erin Brockovich-level scandal". He heads Stop PFAS, a group that intends to file lawsuits against the NSW government and Sydney Water to provide free PFAS blood testing for local residents and compensate those adversely affected.
According to Dee, residents in the Blue Mountains have been consuming toxic tap water for 32 years.
The dams supplying Blue Mountains' water, Medlow Dam (pictured) and Greaves Creek Dam, have been removed from the water supply system since the contamination was discovered.
Some residents in the Blue Mountains have unknowingly ingested tainted water for decades.
Multiple residents have reported results from tests they funded revealing PFAS in their bloodstream nearly 50 times the safety limit defined by 3M, a prominent chemicals manufacturer. Local resident Nick A'hern, who had 46 nanograms per millilitre of PFAS, a harmful chemical linked to firefighting foam and classified as carcinogenic, is among them.
While the value of individual blood tests is being debated among scientists, continuous exposure to PFAS enhances the risk of testicular and kidney cancer, impacts the immune system, and causes developmental damage in children.
Mr A'hern has survived prostate cancer, and his wife has experienced bowel cancer. Currently, their 33-year-old son faces a testicular cancer diagnosis.
“None of the cancers we’ve had have been in our family lineage,” shared A'hern with AAP. “It's quite uncanny. All of our kids used to swim in the dams and the water catchments. We just want to know if they are safe.”
A spokesperson for Sydney Water stated the organization would work with other agencies to meet the proposed Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
The WaterNSW probe found contamination of two dams used for Blue Mountains' drinking water may have taken place following separate motor vehicle accidents on the Great Western Highway in 1992 and 2002, near Medlow Bath township. The town's fire station also presented a potential source of contamination.
Examinations at all three sites uncovered the chemical fingerprint consistent with the historical utilization of PFAS-containing fire-fighting foam, banned nationwide in 2007.
The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council drafted new drinking water guidelines in October, lowering the benchmark for the PFOA group of chemicals.
Public pressure led to Sydney Water installing a $3.4 million mobile PFAS treatment plant in the Blue Mountains catchment in January 2025.
Ian Wright, a water scientist from the University of Western Sydney, criticized water agencies for “pretty average governance of water contamination”.
Various human studies have shown that PFAS exposure is associated with liver cancer, in addition to the documented risks of kidney and testicular cancers. Moreover, ongoing research points to a relationship between PFAS and cancer types such as breast cancer, brain cancer, childhood leukemia, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, more research is still needed to establish these connections conclusively.
- John Dee, an environmental activist, is calling for free PFAS blood testing for local residents in the Blue Mountains and compensation for those affected, as he believes they have been unknowingly consuming tainted water containing high levels of PFAS for decades.
- The significant contamination of PFAS in the water supply of the Blue Mountains, NSW, has raised concerns about potential health risks, as continuous exposure to these chemicals increases the risk of testicular and kidney cancer, impacts the immune system, and causes developmental damage in children.
- The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council has drafted new drinking water guidelines, lowering the benchmark for the PFOA group of chemicals in response to public pressure, demonstrating a growing awareness and concern about the health impacts of PFAS and other environmental-science related issues on health-and-wellness and medical-conditions.
