Water Management

PFAS Testing Results – Boroowa and Harden Water Supply Systems

As part of Council’s ongoing commitment to provide a continuous drinking water supply that meets the current Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG), sample analysis for PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl – substances) was conducted on the Boorowa and Harden water supply systems in October 2025.

PFAS is a group of chemicals commonly used in a variety of consumer products which include food packaging and industrial processes and can be present in soil and water in the environment.

The results of the testing showed that the levels of PFAS in the Boorowa and Harden water supplies were well below the new limits set in the revised Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) June 2025.

Please find a summary of findings for the Boorowa and Harden Water Supply Systems in the following tables:

While these results are well below levels of risk, Council will continue to work closely with the regulators to ensure the ongoing quality and safety of the community’s water supply.

For further information in relation to PFAS please refer to the following:

• NSW Government Information and Updates: www.nsw.gov.au/pfas
• NSW Health Additional Information: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/Pages/pfas.aspx
• National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Review of PFAS: https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/health-advice/environmental-health/water/PFAS-review 

Water usage 

Residents across the Hilltops Region are asked to be mindful of their water usage regardless of  water restrictions are encouraged to do all they can to be water wise. Hilltops Council is a member Smart Water Advice, a range of tips and resources to help you save water in your home, garden and at work are available below

Saving water in your home, garden and at work 

Water restrictions in Hilltops

Boorowa, Harden and Young Water Restriction Summary:

Annual Dam Safety Standards Report

The dams safety legislation requires all declared dam owners to publish an Annual Dams Safety Standard Report for their dam.

Section 14 (4) of the Dams Safety Act 2015 requires a declared dam owner to publish a report demonstrating the owner’s compliance with the dams safety standards.

Clause 26 of the Dams Safety Regulation 2019 (the Regulation) requires the dam owner to provide a copy of the report to Dams Safety NSW, in a form approved by Dams Safety NSW.

What is the purpose of the Annual Dams Safety Standards Report?

The Annual Dams Safety Standards Report is the way a dam owner’s ‘accountable office holder’ attests to the dam owner’s level of compliance with the dams safety standards prescribed in the Dams Safety Regulation 2019. The report also provides important information to Dams Safety NSW to enable us to prioritise our compliance activities.

Key points about the report are:

• the declared dam owner must publish a report every year
• the declared dam owner must demonstrate compliance with the dams safety standards in the report
• the dams safety standards prescribed in the Dams Safety Regulation 2019 are:
  • Part 3 ‘Consequence Category of dam’
  • Part 5 ‘Dam safety management system’
  • Part 6 ‘Other safety requirements’
• the report must be in a form approved by Dams Safety NSW
• the dam owner must make the report available at the owner’s main office and on the owner’s website
• the report must be submitted to Dams Safety NSW.