By Luke Voogt
Pesticide detection levels in Barwon Water’s catchments decreased by almost 90 per cent in a decade, according to an environmental group’s report.
Detections decreased from 29 in 2007 to three in 2016 according Friends of the Earth’s latest report into Victorian drinking supplies.
Barwon Water infrastructure manager Paul Northey credited the reduction to the authority’s monitoring program and “communications protocol” with plantation managers.
“The delivery of safe drinking water and protection of catchments remain among Barwon Water’s highest priorities,” he said.
“Results over a number of years show our monitoring and risk management program is rigorous and robust.”
An independent laboratory, accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities, conducted about 3000 tests for pesticides and herbicides across Barwon Water’s catchments during 2016/’17, Mr Northey said.
Barwon Water had invested more than $200,000 in 2016/’17 to support environmental programs and activities within its catchment areas, he said.
But over the decade the authority’s catchments recorded the second highest level of pesticide detections in Victoria, according to the report.
Between 2011 and 2013 three of the highest detections of the MCPA herbicide in Australian water supplies occured in Barwon Water’s Matthews Creek catchments.
“All samples have been well below health guideline limits in water supplied to Barwon Water customers, including the low level detections for MCPA detected between 2011 and 2013,” Mr Northey said.
Barwon Water was the first Victorian Water authority to implement more “rigorous” pesticide sampling in 2004, the Friends of the Earth report stated.
The authority publishes water quality data quarterly and detailed data annually through the drinking water quality report on its website, Mr Northey said.
