Australia and New Zealand Release Version 3.1 of the PFAS National Environmental Management Plan 
In May 2026, the Australian, state, territory, and New Zealand governments through the Heads of EPA Australia and New Zealand (HEPA) published Version 3.1 of the PFAS National Environmental Management Plan (PFAS NEMP). This plan serves as a nationally consistent framework designed to manage PFAS contamination in the environment across Australia and New Zealand, providing governments with a framework to implement risk-based regulatory measures for PFAS. This update (Version 3.1) reflects new guideline values for PFAS in drinking water based on the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG). It also incorporates new guideline values for PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid) in freshwater based on the Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (ANZG).
The updates introduced in Version 3.1 are summarized below.
Summary of Updates
| Update | Affected Sections | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Reflection of new guideline values for PFAS in drinking water | Table 4 in Section 8.6.1 | For PFOS, PFHxS, PFOA, and PFBS, this update adds:
|
| Reflection of new guideline values for PFOS in freshwater | Table 8 in Section 8.7.3 | For PFOS, this update:
|
For reference, the sections of Version 3.0 of the PFAS NEMP and their overviews are outlined below.
PFAS NEMP 3.0
| Section | Overview |
|---|---|
| 1. Introduction | Purpose of the NEMP and a general overview of PFAS. |
| 2. Australia and New Zealand’s international obligations | International treaties ratified by both countries and the resulting international obligations regarding PFAS. |
| 3. Guiding principles | Environmental regulatory principles guiding the development of the PFAS NEMP. |
| 4. Communication and engagement | Guidance on principles and approaches for environmental authorities to consider when communicating and engaging with communities affected by PFAS contamination. |
| 5. PFAS monitoring | Environmental monitoring methodologies and case studies to confirm the presence of PFAS within target areas and to provide quantitative and qualitative data regarding its distribution, concentration, and types. |
| 6. PFAS inventory | Purpose and implementation methods of PFAS inventories. |
| 7. PFAS-contaminated site prioritisation | Processes and case studies for determining risks to the environment or human health at PFAS-contaminated sites, and for enabling agencies or site owners to prioritize investigations, management, or environmental remediation. |
| 8. PFAS environmental guideline values | Guideline values for PFAS in the environment used to guide contamination investigations and management, or to trigger their implementation (not intended as cleanup standards or maximum permissible contamination limits). |
| 9. PFAS-contaminated site assessment | Existing guidance and application guidelines for conducting site-specific risk assessments at PFAS-contaminated sites. |
| 10. On-site stockpiling, storage and containment | Guidelines for considering the temporary on-site stockpiling, storage, and containment of PFAS-contaminated materials. |
| 11. Transport of PFAS-contaminated material | Methods for transporting and tracking PFAS-contaminated materials, along with transport considerations. |
| 12. Reuse of PFAS-contaminated material including soils and water | Principles and considerations when evaluating the reuse of PFAS-containing materials for resource recovery purposes. |
| 13. PFAS site remediation and management | Considerations for establishing goals and objectives when remediating PFAS-contaminated sites. |
| 14. PFAS disposal to landfill | Risks and management considerations regarding landfills that accept wastes containing PFAS. |
| 15. PFAS in the wastewater treatment system | Guidance for water utilities and water authorities regarding the on-site management and treatment of wastewater within sewerage systems. |
| 16. Data sharing | Criteria for data sharing, including the publication of data by regulatory authorities. |
| 17. PFAS notification | Considerations, including case studies, regarding mandatory obligations to notify regulatory authorities about the environmental risks of PFAS. |
| 18. PFAS sampling | Guidance on sampling methodologies at PFAS-contaminated sites. |
| 19. PFAS analysis | A suite of PFAS analytical methods suitable for investigating, assessing, and managing various sites. |
| 20. Future work | Six priority areas for environmental regulation and PFAS contamination management. |
| 21. Review | Process for reviewing and updating the PFAS NEMP. |
Reference
- PFAS NEMP (Version 3.1)
https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/pfas-nemp-3-1.pdf - Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2011 (Version 4.0, Published June 25, 2025)
https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/australian-drinking-water-guidelines#block-views-block-file-attachments-content-block-1 - Guideline Values for PFOS in Freshwater (Published April 1, 2026, ANZG)
https://www.waterquality.gov.au/anz-guidelines/guideline-values/default/water-quality-toxicants/toxicants/pfos-fresh-2026
