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PFAS pollution in the Murray River - Ecosystems at Risk?

Friends of the Earth Australia

Key Facts:

Victoria's highest PFOS detection was detected at Lake Mulwala in 2023 or 36 times the current PFOS health guideline.

Upwards of 250km of the Murray River between Koondrook and Mildura is likely to be impacted by PFOS above ecological guideline levels.

Testing of the Murray River in NSW has been limited.

SA Water tests in South Australia are likely to miss the majority of detections.

Recent information gained through Freedom of Information (FoI's) by Friends of the Earth Australia (FOEA) has revealed frequent PFAS contamination of the Murray River in Victoria. 

PFAS monitoring of the Murray River has mainly been limited to relatively tests by water authorities and the EPA. Lower Murray Water did not start testing for PFAS until December 2024.

A couple of New South Wales Council's responsible for drinking water along the Murray also were involved in PFAS testing in the 2024 NSW Health PFAS Screening Program, with some positive results coming from Balranald Shire Council.

SA Water began testing at a couple of locations along the Murray River in May 2025 and April 2026. The SA Water samples were negative, but the level of detection used in their test regimes is 20 times higher than similar monitoring conducted along the Murray by Lower Murray Water in Victoria. 

Through the FoI process FoEA managed to find out that Victoria's highest PFAS pollution event in a drinking water supply, occurred at Lake Mulwala, Yarrawonga on July 13 2023. A total of 9 PFAS chemicals were detected at the same time, with the most significant being a PFOS detection of 0.29µg/L or 36 times higher than the current PFOS drinking water guideline. The cause of this event was never investigated.

Between August 2017 and November 2024 North East Water detected PFAS chemicals 19 times in the Murray River with nine of these detections occurring at Lake Mulwala on July 13 2023.

Lower Murray Water started testing for PFAS chemicals in drinking water supplies in December 2024. Between that date and February 2026 Lower Murray Water detected PFAS chemicals 26 times at eight locations. Whilst averaging 5-9% of health guidelines, 60% of Lower Murray Water's test result detections breached the ANZECC PFOS Biota Screening Threshold of 0.0005µg/L parts per billion.

This could imply that a large stretch of the Murray River (~250km) from Koondrook to Mildura could be impacted by PFOS levels which could have bioaccumulative impacts to hundreds of species reliant on the Murray River.

EPA Victoria ran a sampling program for contaminants in floodwater in late 2022.  PFOS was detected at Echuca once on 31/10/22 at 0.0006µg/L. PFOS was also detected in the Campaspe River at Echuca on 8/11/22 at 0.001µg/L. PFOS was also detected at the Goulburn River Echuca on 31/10/22 at 0.001µg/L.

Prior to this monitoring, the EPA in 2019 also detected PFOS at 0.001µg/L at Richardsons Lagoon Echuca. PFOS was also detected in breast meat of  water fowl including Grey Teal and Pacific Black Duck at levels above trigger levels. How were the ducks exposed to PFAS?

EPA flood water monitoring in 2022 in the Little Murray River near Swan Hill detected 4 PFAS chemicals with levels of PFOS as high as 0.0007µg/L.

All of the EPA detections also exceeded the Biota Screening Threshold of 0.0005µg/L parts per billion.

 

 

 

 

 

Contact details:

Anthony Amis 0425841564