EPA waters down health concerns in Edwardstown contamination zone

ABOUT 2000 residents in Edwardstown and South Plympton have been advised that contamination in their area will not expose them to “unacceptable health risks”.

Former Hills Industries contaminated site at Edwardstown.

ABOUT 2000 residents in Edwardstown and South Plympton have been advised that contamination in their area will not expose them to “unacceptable health risks”.

However the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is looking into setting up a groundwater prohibition area, to ban residents from using bore water.

The EPA has written to households in parts of the two suburbs, following an auditor’s report into contamination from the former Hills Industries factory on South Rd.

The ban would include using borewater for any purpose, including gardening.

Groundwater beneath homes in part of Edwardstown and South Plympton has been contaminated and residents have been told not to use borewater.

The area is bounded by Melville and Maxwell streets to the north, the Seaford rail line to the east, Oval Ave and Nelson St to the south and Marion Rd to the west.

The report marks the final stage in an assessment process that the EPA has been overseeing since 2009, when chemicals were detected in groundwater at levels above the Australian Drinking Water Guideline values.

Chemicals found included tetrachloroethene (or perchloroethene, PCE), used in cleaning, and industrial solvent trichloroethene (TCE).

The EPA first advised residents in February 2011 not to use bore water until further testing was done.