With a public meeting held in Katherine by the Defence Department on PFAS contamination soon, to be livestreamed on Facebook by the Katherine Times, we have updated the town’s grim timeline.
2012 – Defence department "desktop analysis" finds PFAS contamination an issue at military bases around Australia, Tindal likely named.
November, 2016 – Defence report finds foams have leached off Tindal and into the water aquifer.
November, 2016 – Public meetings in Katherine organised by Defence to update residents.
April, 2017 – NT Government increases testing of Katherine drinking water.
Testing consistently shows two production bores used to supply water treatment plant are well above health limits.
April, 2017 – The Federal Government dramatically reduces the health limits for PFAS chemicals in line with US standards from 0.5 micrograms per litre, to 0.07.
April, 2017 – Public meetings in Katherine for Defence to update residents.
June, 2017 – Public meetings in Katherine for Defence to update residents.
October, 2017 – Katherine’s public swimming pool returns a PFAS result above health limits.