eFlash #659

Date: 10-Jun-2026

PFAS NEMP 3.1 released

A new version of the PFAS NEMP 3.1 has been released. According to the supporting documentation, the updates are as follows:

Version 3.1 adopts the revised NHMRC Australian Drinking Water Guideline (ADWG) values for PFAS released in June 2025 and requires these values to be used when assessing drinking water exposure pathways.
The existing FSANZ tolerable daily intake (TDI) values for PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS remain unchanged and continue to be used for all non-drinking-water exposure assessments.
As a result, environmental guideline values in the PFAS NEMP that are based on FSANZ TDIs remain unchanged.
The NHMRC drinking water TDI for PFBS may now be used in risk assessments where PFBS concentrations require further investigation.
PFAS NEMP 3.1 incorporates the updated Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (ANZG) values for PFOS released in March 2026.
Updated PFOS guideline values apply to both freshwater and marine waters, while PFOA guideline values for freshwater and marine waters remain unchanged.

We draw your attention to new, changed and expanded wording in some sections: Health based guideline values Section 8.6.1 (p48), Ecological guideline values Section 8.7.3 (p59 and p60) and the PFAS-contaminated side assessments Section on biota (p82).

The key change for water service providers is around Table 8 Ecological water quality guideline values (p61) which has been heavily revised, with new values guideline values for PFOS in both marine and freshwater. The new values supersede some of the more challenging guideline values for PFOS (freshwater and interim marine guideline values for 99% species protection previously 0.00023 µg/L) that have been substantially revised upwards. Screening thresholds for biota have been added for the first time.

The notes section for this Table has also been expanded, so we would encourage you to read the table in that context. Both PFAS NEMP 3.1 and the superseded NEMP 3.0 are available here.

This will be discussed in detail at the forthcoming SWEAP meeting. If you are not a member of SWEAP, but wish to be, please reach out to Louise Reeves.

Wastewater Quality and Trade Waste Workshop

Register now for the qldwater Wastewater Quality and Trade Waste workshop to be held on 22-23 July 2026 at the qldwater office in Eagle Farm, Brisbane.

The program will explore:

Why trade waste matters for known and emerging contaminants
Sector perspectives on trade waste challenges and opportunities
Best practice case studies from across Queensland

The Site tour on Wednesday 22 July will be to the Veolia City Links site on the Gold Coast, where thanks to Aerofloat, we will be able to visit an operational landfill leachate treatment facility incorporating PFAS treatment.

If you’re working in trade waste, wastewater quality or emerging contaminants — or want to better understand how they intersect, this is a valuable opportunity to connect and learn.

More info and register here.

SWIM™/swimlocal™ Training

qldwater is hosting a free two-day SWIM™/swimlocal™ training session at our Brisbane office on Monday 22 June (also available online) and Tuesday 23 June (in person only).

What to expect:

Monday: SWIM™ Annual Data Tool Webinar via TEAMS from 9:30-10:30 am including a SWIM™ refresher, swimlocal overview, Web Admin Tool, OpsTool and reporting. Jess and David will be around for the rest of the day for swimlocal discussions via TEAMS or in person.

Tuesday: Hands-on swimlocal™ training and system setup (9 am–3 pm). This session will help you to setup or modify your swimlocal™ system to get the most out of it, e.g., add alerts, automating SWIM annual reporting, importing lab data directly, SCADA data imports, calculations, adding new sites/indictors, setting up reports and dashboards, etc.

You can join for all or part of the sessions, either in person or online (Monday).

To attend, please contact Jess Dean or David Scheltinga.

Latest Submission

Our submission to the National Health and Medical Research Council on draft guidance materials for the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) supports the development of drinking water guidance that is scientifically robust, nationally consistent and practical to implement. We encourage NHMRC to ensure that implementation guidance recognises the operational realities faced by regional, rural and remote water service providers, particularly in relation to chemical supply chains, infrastructure constraints and the need to maintain effective disinfection at all times.

All qldwater submissions, reports and discussion papers are available here.

OTHER NEWS

Price monitoring investigation: Unitywater and Urban Utilities

The QCA has published their interim reports on Unitywater and Urban Utilities, covering 2026–27 price forecasts, bill impacts, and their governance, productivity and efficiency frameworks.

The next step in the QCA process will be publishing phase 2 submissions from Unitywater and Urban Utilities ahead of the draft report in December 2026.

Go to the QCA website to read the reports.

2026 Water Leadership Program Scholarships Now Open

The International WaterCentre’s award winning Water Leadership Program is now calling for applications, with a range of scholarships available for emerging leaders across the water sector.

Now in its 16th year, the program builds practical leadership skills in areas such as communication, influence, team leadership and organisational change.

This round includes the new Peta Mullin Inclusive Leadership Scholarship (full scholarship for women), alongside additional partial scholarships for both female only and open applicants. Indigenous water leaders and part time professionals are strongly encouraged to apply.

Learn more.

Drones Initiative Funding

Applications are now open for funding through the Industry Skills Solutions – Drones initiative.

Drone technology is transforming industries such as agriculture, mining, logistics, emergency response, construction and energy which is driving a growing demand for drone operators.

This is a two-year, $1 million initiative designed to develop drone operator skills to support the adoption and application of this technology across a wide range of industries. 

Successful projects will connect participants with local employers and help them gain:

a Certificate III in Aviation (Remote Pilot)
a Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) remote pilot license (RePL)
connections to local employers to ensure participants gain skills tailored to the needs of local industries
employment pathways in high-demand sectors.

How to apply

Visit Industry Skills Solutions
Read program information (Guidelines and FAQs) available at Industry Skills Solutions – Drones initiative
Apply online by 4pm on Friday 10 July.

Please reach out Keith Heavens, qldwater’s Industry Skills and Jobs Advisor, at kheavens@qldwater.com.au for support. For queries relating to the ISS – Drones initiative, please contact the DTET Industry Lead at SPI@dtet.qld.gov.au.

WIOA QLD Conference – Register Now!

Time is running out to register for the WIOA 2026 Queensland Water Industry Operations Conference & Exhibition, taking place 24- 25 June on the Gold Coast. This is an opportunity to connect with a community of water industry operations professionals from across Queensland for two days of shared learning, practical insights and connections.

The program brings together real experiences, technical presentations and innovative solutions with an exhibition featuring 120+ exhibitors. With live industry competitions, networking events, and opportunities to strengthen professional connections, this event is all about supporting and celebrating the people on the ground who keep our water systems running.

Please come and catch up with the qldwater team at Stand #65.

Secure your place today. (WIOA Members receive a 20% discount on delegate registration.)

PhD Opportunities

The ARC Training Centre for Climate-Resilient Water has PhD opportunities available across a range of research themes.

qldwater is a proud partner of the Centre which will drive transformation in governance, efficiency, and circular water systems, training the next generation of leaders and innovators. Climate change is threatening water reliability, increasing costs, energy use and emissions. Backed by 28 partners across utilities, councils, universities, and government this Centre is offering 25+ PhD scholarships, 6 postdocs, and 25 masters scholarships - plus industry placements and collaborative design challenges.

Expressions of interest are invited for domestic candidates before 6 July 2026. Opportunities for international candidates will open later in the year – check back soon.

More info here.

CURRENT CONSULTATIONS

Queensland Productivity Review into Environmental Regulation

The Queensland Productivity Commission (QPC) is conducting an inquiry into the impacts of recent changes to federal environmental regulation.

The inquiry into reforms to Commonwealth environmental laws – including the 2025 changes to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act – is an important opportunity to address long standing issues around assessment timeframes, duplication and regulatory burden for urban water (infrastructure) projects in Queensland.

The QPC has released its Call for Submissions inviting all stakeholders to make a submission to the inquiry – closing date 13 July. Please contact Georgina at gdavis@qldwater.com.au if you are interested in contributing to the qldwater submission.

More info here.

Strengthening Protections Against Violent Workplace Incidents Amendment Bill

On 13 May 2026 the Hon Shannon Fentiman MP, Member for Waterford, introduced the Strengthening Protections Against Violent Workplace Incidents Amendment Bill 2026 into the Queensland Parliament. The Bill was referred to the State Development, Infrastructure and Works Committee for detailed consideration.

The purpose of the Bill is to strengthen protections against violent workplace incidents, by creating a new notifiable incident class of violent incident.

The Bill amends the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the associated provisions in the Safety in Recreational Water Activities Act 2011 to widen the scope of a notifiable incident to include a new violent incident definition.

The closing date for written submissions is Thursday, 25 June 2026 at 5pm.

Have your say on Environmental Offsets Framework review

The Queensland Government is seeking feedback on a proposed refresh of the Environmental Offsets Framework, which helps balance development with environmental protection. The review will focus on improving how offsets are delivered, calculated and regulated.

A new discussion paper outlines key challenges, including delays and complexity, and invites stakeholder input on three focus areas: unlocking the Offset Account, financial calculations, and regulatory improvements.

An online information session will be held on 18 June (12.30–2.00pm) - register to attend or receive updates.

Feedback is open until 29 June 2026 via the consultation website or email offsetsreview@detsi.qld.gov.au.