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Pesticides And Water Supply Quality A Concern For Gippsland Residents. Lake Narracan Friends of the Earth raised concerns today about a recently published EPA report regarding pesticide and heavy metal detections in waterways in Gippsland. By Friends of the Earth - 3rd May 2013 - Back to News The Report entitled 'Impacts of Intensive Agriculture and Plantation Forestry on Water Quality in the Latrobe Catchment, Victoria' was released on the 29th of April. The report assessed a range of water quality data across two sub-catchments in 2011/12, in the Latrobe River catchment, Narracan Creek and Middle Creek. It also included some quality data from the Latrobe River itself.
Friends of the Earth spokesperson Anthony Amis said, "The EPA should be congratulated for producing a high quality report which should stand as a benchmark for similar water quality studies in other regions. We urge the Authority to increase this type of work across other catchment areas in Victoria. We would however like to see the EPA increase their role in monitoring for agricultural pollutants associated with other forms of intensive agriculture such as dairy farming, particularly in catchments that are designated as water supply catchments. The Macalister River at Maffra should be an urgent priority".
Of concern to Friends of the Earth was the amount of pesticides detected in the Narracan Creek catchment, particularly within the Narracan Creek domestic water supply which supplies drinking water to over 25,000 people in Moe, Newborough, Yallourn North, Yarragon, and Darnum. Friends of the Earth has also held long term concerns regarding water quality supplied at Thorpdale.
Ten pesticides used by potato growers were detected by the EPA in the Narracan Creek domestic water supply. The pesticides included 23 detections of Triclopyr, Azoxystrobin, Metalaxyl, 2,4-D, Metolachlor, Diazinon, Simazine, Metribuzin, MCPA and Atrazine. "Although none of the samples breached Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, the amount of detections and types of pesticides detected indicate the very real risk of water supply contamination from pesticides" said Mr Amis. Three pesticides were detected in the Thorpdale supply In March 2012, Triclopyr, Azoxystrobin and Metalaxyl.
Mr Amis added. "Of further concern is that it is very likely that there would be a number of other pesticides used within the catchment that weren't tested for by the EPA. Amplifying these concerns is the lack of permanent monitoring of the range of pesticides used within the catchment by Gippsland Water. As long ago as the late 1960s Moe Waterworks Trust were concerned about pesticides used within the catchment, yet no testing was implemented. Current pesticide testing by Gippsland Water is unlikely to be frequent enough or test a wide enough range of pesticides to capture exactly what people drinking the water could be exposed to. What pesticides have people been exposed to over the last 50 years through their drinking water?"
"This study should be a wake up call to Gippsland Water to implement more thorough pesticide testing regimes. We urge Gippsland Water to implement monthly tests for a wide range of pesticides in catchments where intensive agriculture occurs. The study should also be used by pesticide regulators to amend label instructions for the detected pesticides, particularly when they are used in domestic water supplies" Mr Amis concluded.
For Further Information Contact Anthony Amis 0425 841 564
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Campaigns co-ordinator
Friends of the Earth
Box 222, Fitzroy, 3065
Ph: 03 9419 8700 (ext 20)
M: 0419 338 047
melbourne.foe.org.au
foe.org.au
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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