Katherine, a town in the Northern Territory, has been awarded 'Best Tasting Tap Water' by the Water Industry Operations Association of Australia (WIOA). This recognition comes nine years after the town discovered its drinking water was contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
PFAS, known as "forever chemicals" due to their resistance to decay, were found in Katherine's groundwater. These chemicals, recognized as toxic to humans and animals and linked to health issues like cancer, originated from firefighting foam used at the nearby Tindal Air Force Base until the early 2000s. The contamination spread to the Katherine River, the underground aquifer, and the town's tap water.
Following the discovery, the Australian Department of Defence supplied clean water to bore-reliant properties and funded a permanent PFAS decontamination plant. The plant, located at the Power and Water Corporation's Katherine water treatment facility, began operations last year. Its successful implementation allowed Katherine's tap water to be entered into the WIOA competition for the first time.
Stuart Khan, head of civil engineering at the University of Sydney, noted that Katherine's water quality is attributed to its unique blend of two sources: primarily rainwater from Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) and smaller amounts of mineral-rich groundwater from the Tindal Limestone Aquifer. This blend achieves an optimal balance for taste.
The challenge of managing accumulated PFAS waste from treatment plants remains. Power and Water stated they would work with the Department of Defence to transfer waste and resin to suitable processing and disposal sites once a saturation point is reached. Dr. Khan emphasized the necessity of incineration for PFAS waste, a capacity Australia currently lacks, to avoid long-term landfill management issues.