Workers constructing the new Richmond Bridge over the Hawkesbury River will be required to work from barges due to the water being so heavily contaminated with PFAS - dubbed "forever chemicals" - that it poses significant risks to human health and the environment. 

The extraordinary revelation, outlined in a Transport for NSW (TfNSW) report, highlights a glaring contradiction: government precautions for construction workers starkly contrast with ongoing assurances from the Premier and health officials about the safety of the region’s drinking water.

"To further minimise PFAS risk to human health, workers constructing the piers for the four-lane bridge from the Hawkesbury River would be in barges,” the report on the new bridge at Richmond stated.

The Hawkesbury River, one of Australia’s most important urban waterways, supplies drinking water to tens of thousands of residents and is vital for agriculture, irrigation, and livestock production. Yet, the TfNSW findings reveal that PFAS levels in the Hawkesbury River exceed limits established under the 2020 National Environmental Management Plan (NEMP 2.0). Detailed on page 339 of the Richmond Bridge Stage 2 report, testing undertaken on behalf of TfNSW uncovered PFAS concentrations that breach outdated (conservative) thresholds, which have since been tightened globally to reflect the severe health risks posed by these chemicals.

“...analytical results from the Hawkesbury River show that the PFAS concentration exceeded the adopted ecological health assessment criteria under the NEMP 2.0. If PFAS-contaminated water from the Hawkesbury River is reused during construction (such as for dust suppression), this could harm nearby waterways, flora and fauna in the area, and impact human health. This would be avoided. To further minimise PFAS risk to human health, workers constructing the piers for the four-lane bridge from the Hawkesbury River would be in barges,” the report stated. The document, signed off by senior NSW government bureaucrat Tim Webster appears to indicate that the government is well aware of the health risk to humans from PFAS exposure while maintaining public reassurances that Sydney’s drinking water remains safe.

Sydney Water told the HP that it only tests for PFAS at its filtration plants, as only drinking water needs to meet the Australian drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG). Dams and rivers are raw water, not drinking water, and the ADWG doesn't apply to raw water.

PFAS contamination in the Hawkesbury stems from decades of use of firefighting foams at RAAF Base Richmond. These chemicals have leached into groundwater, soil, and the river, spreading further with tides and floods. Associate Professor Ian Wright, an environmental scientist at Western Sydney University, previously told the Hawkesbury Post.

 “A very, very, very small amount of PFAS goes a long way. It’s like one eye-drop in 20 Olympic swimming pools that’s dangerous at that level. And the RAAF base used a lot of PFAS foams over a very long time.” PFAS bioaccumulate in the food chain, magnifying their impact. “This means that lower-level bugs eat the plant, then the chicken eats the bug, and the concentration builds up at higher concentrations each level you go,” Wright explained.

These "forever chemicals" have been linked to cancers, including kidney, testicular, and thyroid, as well as other severe health conditions. Despite this, the Australian Department of Health maintains that evidence of harm is “limited.”

The Richmond Bridge report also details plans for site inductions to inform workers about PFAS risks, surface water monitoring during construction, and management measures outlined in the project’s Construction Environmental Management Plan. 

“...Site inductions would inform workers about the PFAS risk. Additionally, surface water monitoring and/or management may be required during the construction program to manage potential ecological risks where required. This risk would be managed through implementation of a CEMP during construction as well as other safeguards and management measures outlined in Section 6.5.4” The Richmond Bridge Stage 2 report said.

The Hawkesbury is not alone in facing PFAS contamination. Similar issues plague communities around military bases across Australia. The World Health Organisation has flagged PFAS as a cause of multiple cancers and other health issues, yet Australia while having recently updated its drinking water safety guidelines still lags behind global efforts to address the crisis.