Chemical runoff from the Forest Hill RAAF base has been discovered near the water supply of the New South Wales city of Wagga Wagga, decades ahead of earlier predictions.

The Department of Defence has reportedly identified low levels of PFAS in two groundwater monitoring wells located a mere 650 metres from a bore field critical to Wagga Wagga's drinking water source. 

The revelation contradicts a 2021 departmental study, which anticipated a minimum 50-year timeframe for the chemicals to migrate from the RAAF base to the water supply.

According to a Defence spokesperson; “These results suggest the PFAS plume … is moving faster than originally predicted”, but they affirmed there is currently no immediate risk of PFAS contamination to the bore field, and the water remains safe to drink.

Riverina Water, responsible for Wagga Wagga's water supply, has reported detecting a “very minor” level of PFAS in one of its bores, subject to ongoing investigation. 

It says the bore in question has not been in active use and has been isolated from the rest of the water network for further examination.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoralkyl substances, are persistent compounds that accumulate in the environment and human bodies. 

They were historically present in firefighting foam used during military training exercises, including at Forest Hill near Wagga Wagga, leading to a $132 million class action against the federal government.

Riverina Water CEO Andrew Crakanthorp has reassured residents that their drinking water remains safe, with PFAS levels still well below Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. However, but he expressed concern about the rapid spread of contaminated groundwater.

“We thought we had a 50-year window, and that has disappeared within a two-year timeframe,” he said. 

Both Riverina Water and the Department of Defence have pledged to increase monitoring of PFAS levels in Wagga Wagga's groundwater.

To safeguard long-term water supply, Riverina Water says it is collaborating with Defence to identify suitable sites for constructing new water bores located upstream of the PFAS plume.

Wagga Wagga MP Joe McGirr has sought reassurances from Water Minister Rose Jackson and Environment Minister Penny Sharpe regarding the town's water supply, emphasising the need for continued confidence in the water source as demand rises with warming weather.