Senator Ludlam (Western Australia) asked the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, upon notice, on 5 November 2008:

In regard to recent changes by the United States Environmental Protection Agency lowering the maximum amount of uranium allowed in drinking water from 30 to 20 parts per billion (ppb) and the subsequent requirement of municipalities to notify residents of uranium levels more than twice the 20 ppb limit:

(1) Is there an Australian drinking water standard in regard to uranium content; if so, what is the standard; if not, why not.

(2) Are records kept for drinking water supplies containing uranium; if not, why not; if so, will the Minister table the latest set of data.

(3) Are there any requirements for residents to be informed of high levels of uranium content in water; if not, why not.

Senator Ludwig (Queensland) (Minister for Human Services) -The Minister for Health and Ageing has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) The ‘Australian Drinking Water Guidelines', published by the National Health and Medical Research Council in 2004, provide the Australian community and the water supply industry with guidance on what constitutes good quality drinking water. The Guideline for uranium is ‘based on health considerations that the concentration of uranium in drinking water should not exceed 0.02 mg/L'. The level of 0.02 mg/L is equivalent to 20 parts per billion (ppb).

(2) and (3) The regulation of water supplies is a matter for the states and territories. The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) has published a Technical Report entitled ‘The Radioactive Content of Some Australian Drinking Waters'. This is available at http://www.arpansa.gov.au/pubs/technicalreports/tr148.pdf .