PFAS in Drinking Water: What Australian Homeowners Should Know
PFAS, short for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, has become a more familiar term in recent years as awareness of these chemicals in the environment has grown. If you have seen the term in the news and wondered what it actually means for your household water, here is a straightforward explanation.
What PFAS Actually Is
PFAS refers to a large family of manufactured chemicals that have been used since the mid-twentieth century in products valued for their resistance to heat, water, and oil, including some firefighting foams, non-stick cookware coatings, and water-resistant fabrics. Because these chemicals break down very slowly in the environment, they are sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals.”
How PFAS Can Reach Water Supplies
PFAS can enter groundwater and waterways near sites where it was historically used in significant volumes, such as some firefighting training areas and industrial sites. Australian authorities monitor drinking water supplies for PFAS and regulate acceptable levels, and treated mains water is tested against these guidelines.
Can Home Filtration Reduce PFAS?
Activated carbon filtration, particularly when combined in a multi-stage system, is recognised as an effective method for reducing PFAS compounds in drinking water, and reverse osmosis membranes are also considered highly effective due to their fine filtration level. The effectiveness does depend on the specific filter media and system design, so it is worth checking a product’s stated capability if PFAS reduction is a specific priority for your household.
Which Certifications Actually Confirm PFAS Reduction
Not every filter that claims to “reduce PFAS” has been independently tested to prove it. In the United States, NSF/ANSI 53 and the more specific NSF/ANSI 58 and P473 protocols are the recognised standards laboratories use to test and certify that a filter media reduces PFOA and PFOS to below set thresholds. In Australia, plumbing products connected to the mains water supply, including whole-house filter housings, must carry WaterMark certification from the Australian Building Codes Board, which confirms the product meets the required Australian plumbing standards.
How the Whole-House Systems We Install Are Tested for PFAS
The whole-house filtration systems we supply use AquaCo’s Disruptor® filtration stage specifically for PFAS reduction. Independent testing using US EPA Method 537, the standard laboratory method for measuring PFAS compounds in water, recorded greater than 97.6% reduction of PFOA and greater than 99.0% reduction of PFOS. The housings themselves are WaterMark certified (Licence No. 23448), which you can verify directly on the WaterMark public register.
Verify These Certifications Yourself
We would rather you check these claims independently than take our word for it. You can search the WaterMark product register for Licence No. 23448, and review AquaCo’s listing on the NSF certified product database. If you would like the underlying lab test reports for the Disruptor® stage, contact us and we can provide them.
Staying Informed
If PFAS is a concern for your area, your local water authority’s water quality reporting is the most reliable source of information about what has actually been detected in your supply. From there, you can make an informed decision about whether additional home filtration is something you want for extra peace of mind.