Pollution Monitoring and Licences

The Protection of the Environment Legislation Amendment Act 2011 (POELA Act) introduced a requirement that holders of an environment protection licence make their pollution monitoring data publicly available in a timely manner.

Lachlan Shire Council holds two of these licences;

Condobolin Sewerage Treatment Plant: EPA Licence 4480

Condobolin Water Treatment Plant: EPA Licence 430

An environment protection licence authorises a business to carry out a scheduled activity, providing the business adheres to certain requirements, including limit and operating conditions, which are stipulated in each licence. Council is required by legislation to publish pollution monitoring data, ensuring it publicly accessible.

Pollution Monitoring Data summaries for each licence is published monthly.

Pollution Monitoring Data for Condobolin Sewerage Treatment Plant;

2025 STP EPA Data(PDF, 364KB)

2024 STP EPA Data(PDF, 347KB)

2023 STP EPA Data(PDF, 450KB)

2022 STP EPA Data(PDF, 479KB)

Pollution Monitoring Data for Condobolin Water Filtration Plant

2026 WTP EPA Data(PDF, 285KB)

2025 WTP EPA Data(PDF, 296KB)

2024 WTP EPA Data(PDF, 296KB)

2023 WTP EPA Data(PDF, 363KB)

2022 WTP EPA Data(PDF, 668KB)

Section 153A of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 requires a licence holder to prepare a Pollution Incident Response Management Plan (PIRMP) and review this annually. The PIRMP for Lachlan Shire’s licenced sites can be found below.

Condobolin Sewerage Treatment Plant Pollution Incident Management Response Plan(PDF, 4MB)

Condobolin Water Treatment Plant Pollution Incident Management Response Plan(PDF, 3MB)

What are PFAS?

PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) are a group of over 4000 synthetic chemicals used in a broad range of applications and consumer products since the 1950s. The more well-known within the group are effective at resisting heat, stains and grease. Notably, PFAS has extensively been used in fire-fighting foams and increased environmental levels of PFAS can be found around airports, sites conducting fire-fighting training and industrial areas.

PFAS and Human Health

The Australian Government’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) released revised guidelines on PFAS limits for consultation in October 2024. The revised guidelines propose a significant reduction in health-based guideline values for PFAS within the ADWG. In response to the proposed reduced guideline values, Council has completed additional sampling and testing for PFAS with the assistance of NSW Health (Public Health Unit).

PFAS Testing

Working with NSW Health, Lachlan Shire Council has conducted PFAS testing in Condobolin, Lake Cargelligo and Tottenham water supplies. This included source water and treated water. The laboratory results have indicated that all water supplies have returned results below the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) levels.

Abbreviations: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS).

Lachlan Shire’s PFAS concentration levels are far below the current and proposed ADWG values and are compliant with regulatory requirements and health standards. Lachlan Shire Council will continue to complete regular sampling of the drinking water in accordance with the ADWG and NSW Health.

To find out more about PFAS and their impact on human health read this factsheet(PDF, 167KB) from the Water Services Association of Australia.