West Lakes and Royal Park groundwater prohibition area

The EPA is proposing to establish a groundwater prohibition area (GPA) in parts of West Lakes and Royal Park and would like to hear from residents and groundwater users in the area.

This follows the assessment of groundwater quality in the area and recommendations contained in site contamination audit reports.

If groundwater is affected or threatened by site contamination and action is needed to prevent actual or potential harm to human health or safety as a result of the taking of that water, the EPA has the ability under the Environment Protection Act 1993 to establish a GPA.

The EPA is proposing to prohibit the taking of groundwater from the upper Quaternary aquifers. These aquifers are 0−13 metres below the ground in the area and further information can be found in the determination report in the document library.

In 2000, the Department of Human Services issued a public warning regarding the use of groundwater (bore water) in the West Lakes area. Residents in the West Lakes development area were advised that bore water should not be used for the growing of fruit or vegetables until further notice.

The EPA now advises residents that bore water in this area may be contaminated with PFAS and should continue to not be used for any purpose. Rainwater and mains water (tap water) are not affected.

Results from the groundwater monitoring network have now been published and the report is available from the document library on this site. They show that groundwater (bore water) in parts of the EPA assessment area is contaminated with PFAS, arsenic and copper, and should not be used for any purpose. The EPA is planning to undertake additional assessment to further understand the extent of this contamination.

Further assessment is planned in 2021 and until the contamination is better understood it should not be used for any purpose. Not all properties have access to bore water. If you are unsure, please contact us to discuss.

This work is scheduled to take place in early 2021, and the EPA will write to residents again with further information. If you have any queries about the assessments at all, please do not hesitate to let us know.

At the conclusion of the groundwater assessment the EPA is likely to propose that a groundwater prohibition area should be established.

Based on the results of the November 2020 groundwater study, further work was required to determine how far the contamination extended in the West Lakes assessment area. This involved installing and sampling a groundwater monitoring well network.

Results once again confirmed that shallow groundwater is contaminated with poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and metals. The latest groundwater report can be found in the document library.

The next step is for the EPA to compile a determination report ahead of undertaking community consultation on the establishment of a groundwater prohibition area.