Sydney Tap Water Now Contains 31 PFAS Chemicals, Sensitive Testing Shows
Sensitive Testing Finds 21 More PFAS Types in Sydney’s Tap Water
Australian researchers have discovered 21 new PFAS “forever chemicals” in Sydney’s tap water, bringing the total detected to 31 distinct types. The breakthrough came from the University of New South Wales team using advanced, sensitive methods to analyse samples from four water catchments.
While most PFAS levels remain extremely low, “like one drop in 20 Olympic pools” and well within Australian drinking water guidelines, the US EPA considers that there is no safe PFAS level due to long-term health risks. Some Sydney water samples were found to be near or above international safety benchmarks.
Significantly, the team detected a PFAS chemical never before reported in tap water anywhere in the world, likely originating from food packaging, and another rare breakdown product of firefighting foam found in Australia for the first time.
Sydney Water assures residents that water treated at its nine filtration plants is safe and compliant with local guidelines, yet the findings highlight a need for broader, ongoing PFAS monitoring and international scientific cooperation.
Sensitive testing is revealing more PFAS chemicals in our water than ever before. While levels are currently low, the discovery emphasises the need for ongoing vigilance, research, and updated standards to safeguard public health.
Keep an eye on PFAS Pulse for continued updates on water safety, chemical monitoring, and global PFAS research.
Puraffinity is pleased to announce that its G400+ adsorbent media has been certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 and NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 standards for Point of Entry (POE) and Water Treatment Plant End Use applications The certifications confirm that G400+ meets the required health effects criteria for materials used in drinking water system components. This milestone enables Puraffinity to support installations where NSF-certified products are required, including municipal drinking water applications. “As a member of the American Water Works Association (AWWA), I see this certification as an important step for broader municipal adoption, ” said Neal Megonnell, Chief Commercial Officer at Puraffinity. “It enables utilities to deploy our technology where NSF compliance is required, and it strengthens our ability to scale PFAS treatment solutions while maintaining the highest standards of safety and performance.” Designed for highly effective PFAS removal with rapid kinetics, the advanced adsorbent media G400+ supports compact system design and efficient treatment across a wide range of water matrices. Building on this milestone, the company continues to advance water treatment solutions that help utilities and industry address PFAS compliance and protect drinking water quality.
Puraffinity partners with the U.S. Army ERDC to evaluate Puratech G400, an advanced adsorbent for PFAS removal, through lab and field trials comparing its performance and cost-effectiveness to existing PFAS treatment technologies
Puraffinity signs first commercial agreement for full-scale deployment of its PFAS removal technology
An exclusive panel featuring Puraffinity CEO Vincent Caillaud, who will join industry leaders to discuss cutting-edge solutions for combatting PFAS, “forever chemicals”, in drinking water. With PFAS contamination presenting urgent health challenges due to their extreme persistence, mobility, and health impacts at trace levels, this session will spotlight the realities of PFAS in water supplies, the latest science driving regulatory change, and the next generation of removal technologies.
WEFTEC 2025 is the world’s largest annual water quality conference and exhibition, held September 27–October 1, 2025, at McCormick Place in Chicago. It gathers over 20,000 water professionals from 100+ countries to explore cutting-edge water technologies, attend technical sessions and workshops, and network with sector leaders. The event features a massive exhibition of advanced solutions, educational opportunities, and speciality pavilions focused on topics like sustainability and digital innovation. Our CEO, Vincent Caillaud , and CCO, Neal Megonnell , will be in attendance.
In the Building World-Class Teams webinar series, Henrik Hagemann and Jessica Middlesmiss will be discussing how to Create Cultures that Scale