PFAS Investigation &
Management Program
Management Activities
Management Activities
Defence is continuously working towards the effective monitoring and management of PFAS contamination on, and in the vicinity of, Defence sites. Defence continues to engage with industry experts both nationally and internationally to identify the best management and remediation options for PFAS.
The best management and remediation options for a particular site are determined by site-specific factors, including hydrogeology, soil configuration, the extent of contamination and the nature of exposure pathways. The environmental investigations completed by Defence have provided valuable site-specific information.
PFAS Management Area Plans
At the end of each investigation Defence uses the findings to develop a PFAS Management Area Plan that is tailored to the unique conditions of the site. The aim of the PFAS Management Area Plan is to manage and reduce the risks of PFAS exposure at the site and in the broader management area. All finalised PFAS Management Area Plans are available on the publications page.
Ongoing Monitoring
Ongoing monitoring forms an important part of each PFAS Management Area Plan. Defence is continuing to monitor the concentration and geographical spread of PFAS at sites where an investigation is complete.
Current Management and Remediation Measures
Click through the slides below to see what Defence is currently doing to manage and remediate PFAS contamination.
Water Treatment Plants
Defence is running water treatment plants to remove PFAS from the environment.
Water treatment plants are currently operating at the following locations: (click a location for more information)
Provision of water tanks
As a precaution, Defence has installed rainwater tanks at eligible properties located within a PFAS Management Area.
For more information about alternative water arrangements, visit the support page.
Town Water Connections
As a precaution, Defence has funded connections to town water for eligible properties in the Oakey and Williamtown Management Areas.
Visit the Oakey and Williamtown management activities pages for further information.
Drain excavation and containment
Defence has excavated sediment from open drains at Army Aviation Centre Oakey and RAAF Base Williamtown to reduce the migration of PFAS contamination in surface and ground water. The removal of contaminated sediment and replacement with new clean drain lining material reduces the exposure of the surface runoff to PFAS which will, in turn, reduce the migration of PFAS from these Bases to the surrounding environment.
The material removed was safely disposed of in accordance with EPA guidelines.
Source area excavations
Defence has excavated PFAS source areas at some sites to reduce the amount of PFAS migrating into the surrounding environment.
Excavated material can be managed in several ways including treatment and reuse on-site or disposal at a licensed facility.
The image to the left shows source area excavation at RAAF Base Williamtown.
The image above shows source area excavation at RAAF Base Williamtown.
