Glenelg East Groundwater Prohibition Area

Chemicals from historical industrial activity have contaminated the groundwater in Glenelg East. These chemicals include volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons from a dry cleaning site such as perchloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE) and its degradation products, dichloroethene (DCE), and vinyl chloride (VC). Other chemicals include petroleum hydrocarbons identified from the replacement of degraded underground fuel tanks at an active petrol station. Additional chemicals of concern are heavy metals and cyanide from a former blacksmiths site.

Chlorinated hydrocarbons are extremely persistent in the environment and natural degradation is expected to take centuries. They are denser than water and leach through soil and groundwater. They are volatile, carcinogenic and present a potential risk to human health if groundwater is utilised for drinking, showering, washing, filling swimming pools, watering lawns or irrigation of edible produce.

Historical chemical use has resulted in site contamination that affects soil and groundwater at the dry cleaner site, and groundwater within the area in a west to northwesterly direction.

Poor quality and polluted groundwater can seriously threaten the health and viability of communities, agricultural operations and the environment. The EPA advises that the groundwater in this area is contaminated and should not be used for any purpose. Coming into contact with it can pose a serious risk to human health.

This is especially the case if you ingest it by drinking it, use it to water your fruit and vegetables, wash your food or cook with it (even if it’s boiled). If it’s used to water the garden or lawns, fill a pool or top up a rainwater tank, it creates the opportunity for dermal exposure to the chemicals of concern with absorption through the skin.

Contaminated groundwater should also never be used to wash down paths or the driveway or even as grey water such as toilet flushing. Preventing the extraction of contaminated groundwater is necessary to protect human health and also to prevent the spread of contamination. Spreading is caused by drawing water towards a property if the groundwater is being extracted from a bore.