Central Tablelands Water reassures residents drinking water is safe

Central Tablelands Water (CTW) has moved to reassure residents its drinking water supply is safe following reports of PFAS – or “forever chemicals” – being detected in the Belubula River. CTW said in a statement, published to its facebook page on Friday 3 October, that its drinking water has been tested for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in consultation with NSW Health, and that all results meet both current and proposed national guideline values. “Following recent media reports about the presence of PFAS in the Belubula River, we want to reassure our customers that your drinking water has been tested for PFAS in consultation with NSW Health, which is safe and unaffected,” the statement said. CTW confirmed it does not draw drinking water from the Belubula River, with supplies sourced instead from Lake Rowlands, which it said was not affected. They direct community members to their website to see water testing results. The website says sampling completed by CTW in October 2024 returned results below the detectable limit of <0.01 micrograms per litre. Further testing carried out with NSW Health to assess the supply against proposed reduced guideline values also confirmed compliance. Central Tablelands Water supplies water to communities including Canowindra, Eugowra, Blayney, Manildra and Grenfell, as well as Cowra Council. The reassurance follows ongoing monitoring of PFAS levels in the region by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA).