A long-awaited treatment plant to reduce PFAS chemicals in the Northern Territory town of Katherine's drinking supply has arrived.
The town's bores, drinking supply and local pool are contaminated with traces of the chemicals which were used in firefighting foam at the nearby Tindal airbase from the late 1990s to the early 2000s.
The levels of PFAS in the town's pool and drinking supply are within the deemed safe guidelines and the latter, which is a mix of contaminated bore water and river water, is currently being kept under the limit with water restrictions.
The Defence Department said the plant was only a precaution, as advised by NT Health and NT Power and Water Corporation, and maintained the town's water was safe to drink.
It engaged international environmental company Emerging Compounds Treatment Technologies earlier this year to provide the facility, which will be able to selectively remove PFAS compounds from the bore water used in the drinking supply.
The plant arrived in Darwin from the United States on Monday, although Defence did not reveal the delivery until Wednesday, when it was sent to Katherine.
It will be able to treat 1 megalitre of bore water a day and is expected to become operational by late October.
Defence has previously said the new plant would cost between $3 million and $5 million.
It comes as concerns and confusion in the town over the safety of their water mount, with residents saying Defence has not been clear with information about the contamination.
