Testing the water at Optus Stadium earlier this year.
Camera IconTesting the water at Optus Stadium earlier this year. Credit: The Sunday Times

Fix for lead in drinking water at Perth’s Optus Stadium

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John FlintPerthNow

DRINKING fountains at Optus Stadium and the surrounding park will be retrofitted to remove lead-leaching components.

Brass fittings will be replaced with stainless-steel parts to ensure drinking water is lead-free.

The move is a win for the WA public and vindication for The Sunday Times which revealed the fountains were leaching the metal — with lead levels exceeding Australian Drinking Water Guidelines’ maximum concentration up to 14 times.

Sport and Recreation Minister Mick Murray confirmed the retro-fitting of the drinking fountains this week.

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“VenuesWest is taking this extra step to bring the fountains up to the best possible standard,” Mr Murray said.

The University of WA’s top expert on water and environmental engineering Professor Anas Ghadouani praised the move.

The Sunday Times influenced a good outcome for the best interest of the public,” he said.

The world’s top expert on lead Professor Philip Landrigan had also supported our coverage.

“You have every right to expect that new construction should be lead-free,” the New York based Professor said.

Lead is a cumulative toxicant that affects multiple body systems, including the neurologic, hematologic, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and renal systems.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of lead, and even low exposure can cause serious and in some cases irreversible neurological damage.

VenuesWest publicly dismissed The Sunday Times’ tests in February which showed lead leaching from the fountains outside the stadium.

The Sunday Times taking samples for lead testing.
Camera IconThe Sunday Times taking samples for lead testing. Credit: The Sunday Times

The newspaper then engaged forensic chemists at TSW Analytical to design and conduct more tests of the eight fountains in Stadium Park. TSW chief scientist Dr John Watling concluded water in the fountains had elevated lead when not flushed adequately.

The TSW report, which we handed to the Government, prompted VenuesWest to commission consultant EcoSafe International to undertake a risk assessment and prepare a Water Quality Risk Management Plan for the stadium.

EcoSafe’s report, which was made public this week, confirmed lead was leaching from brass coming into contact with potable water. Though it noted “short-term exceedances of health guideline values are not a significant risk to public health”.

“Since patrons of Optus Stadium and adjacent Stadium Park will represent a full cross-section of the community including those with increased susceptibility to the adverse health effects of lead ingestion, it is essential that the on-site potable water reticulation system is managed to minimise exposure,” the report added.

The EcoSafe report pinpointed other risks to water quality at the stadium and made numerous recommendations to improve systems and management controls.

It warned about pathogen risks from stadium’s ultraviolet (UV) treatment system.

“UV systems typically lead to a significant reduction in chlorine residual, reducing the available disinfectant for the distribution system downstream potentially increasing microbiological health risks to consumers,” it states.

“The design of the UV system at Optus Stadium is also inadequate.

“An investigation is currently under way into disinfection management for Optus Stadium ... It is expected that this investigation will recommend replacement of the UV system with booster chlorination.”

But VenuesWest on Friday insisted “the UV filtration system is not deficient in any way”.

“As stated, VenuesWest is currently investigating the need for changes to the system such as isolation of the UV units and/or additional chlorination,” a spokeswoman said.

“Optus Stadium enjoys both a chlorinated water supply and a UV treatment system to ensure patrons are provided with clean, safe drinking water. As identified in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines the advantage of multiple barriers is that reductions in performance of one barrier may be compensated for by performance of other barriers. Currently the reduction in performance of the chlorine barrier is compensated for by the performance of the UV filtration lamps.”

The EcoSafe report urged the adoption of Canada’s sampling methods which are considered world’s best-practice.

Health Canada has proposed a maximum acceptable lead concentration of 0.005 mg/L in drinking water, compared with 0.01mg/L in Australia.

“As science cannot identify a level under which lead is no longer associated with adverse health effects, lead concentrations in drinking water should be kept as low as reasonably achievable,” it states.

VenuesWest said the report would be considered by the stadium’s water quality management committee.