Recycled water has become a valuable resource in our drying climate. As Victoria’s population grows, we need to make better use of recycled water and understand emerging and legacy contaminants.  

Emerging contaminants include pharmaceuticals, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and personal care products. They are natural or manmade chemicals that may cause known or suspected changes to our environment and/or human health. We call these contaminants ‘emerging’ because information about them is limited. Importantly, the risks emerging contaminants pose to our health and the environment are not yet fully understood.

This study aimed to help Victoria’s water sector better understand emerging contaminants so that potential environmental and public health risks can be managed. The study analysed samples at 31 wastewater treatment plants across Victoria and looked at water samples across the three different types of recycled water – class A, B and C. Because recycled water is not used for human consumption i.e. drinking, the study did not include the sampling of potable water.

The study found 180 chemicals in treated wastewater including pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, and personal care products. This result is consistent with similar studies conducted in other parts of the world.  Concentrations of emerging contaminants were lower in effluent (treated wastewater) than in influent (raw sewage). However, some compounds pass through processing in wastewater treatment plants relatively untreated.   
EPA also tested for 30 different types of PFAS. The tests found PFAS in both incoming wastewater and outgoing, treated wastewater. None of the PFAS concentrations detected exceeded human health guidelines.