PFAS concerns: 'My kids drink water out of the tap,' minister says

As concerns grow about the Australian guidelines for the safe level of forever chemicals in drinking water, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park has reassured people that water catchments in Sydney and the Illawarra are safe.

Following a new report by the SMH newspaper - which has been campaigning about the global spread of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - highlighting the levels of these chemicals in various tap water catchments across Australia, Mr Park was asked on Tuesday morning whether he would allow his children to drink tap water.

"Absolutely, my kids drink water out of the tap in the Illawarra," he said, adding that the region was supplied by Sydney Water.

"They'll be drinking it today at school and they'll be drinking it this afternoon when they get home."

Mr Park said he was confident that drinking water in Sydney was safe and reliable.

"We're very fortunate that we have catchments that are largely protected so that we can ensure safe drinking water," he said.

The SMH has highlighted that the United State's Environmental Protection Agency made a dramatic policy shift in April, finding there was no safe level of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in drinking water and that they were likely to cause cancer.

The US guidelines are now far more stringent than the current Australian ones, which are in the process of being reviewed.

An analysis published on June 11 by the newspaper indicated the chemicals have been found in the drinking water of up to 1.8 million Australians since 2010.

This included Sydney suburbs of North Richmond, Quakers Hill, Liverpool, Blacktown, Emu Plains and Campbelltown, and NSW regional centres of Newcastle, Bathurst, Wagga Wagga, Lithgow, Gundagai and Yass.

They have also been found in the water in Jervis Bay, near the Aboriginal community of Wreck Bay which last year received a $22 million settlement from the Department of Defence after a class action after the areas was devastated by the use of the toxic chemicals on their traditional land.

On Tuesday, NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant also addressed the concerns about the chemicals, reassuring people that tap water was healthy and safe.

"We are incredibly lucky that we draw out water from a very protected catchment," she said.

"So, because we haven't got industry in our catchment and other factors, the water supply to Sydney actually meets the US EPA guidelines."

"I would actually encourage people to drink water. We are very blessed with very safe water and water is the preferred the preferred drink."

Despite having "no concerns" she said the National Health and Medical Research Council was reviewing the Australian drinking water guidelines and considering what is considered safe.

"PFAS is a chemical which is a group of chemicals, and they've got a number of fire resistant properties and they've been used in a number of products over the years now," she said.

"Increasingly, worldwide action is being taken to phase these chemicals out and that is occurring in Australia as well.

"That's critical because these chemicals are long acting in the environment, they don't degrade, and they're often known as the forever chemicals for that reason."

Dr Chant said people were exposed every day to a variety of different chemicals, including radiation and particulate pollution, and that they should take a "proportionate" effort to reduce exposure.

"We need to keep our exposure to a variety of things down to as low as possible and we need to take proportionate efforts to do so," she said.

Sydney Water does not routinely monitor water supplies for PFAS, expect at North Richmond where there is an Air Force base which is considered a potential source of contamination.