Dr Richard Stiles, a surgeon in Bowenfels and member of Doctors for the Environment Australia, said that Springvale should uphold laws protecting Sydney’s water supply or be penalised for continuing to discharge polluted water into the Coxs River. 

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“Doctors for the Environment see a clear interconnection between environmental health and human health. That’s why its good to have laws that aim to protect drinking water quality, which have pleasingly been upheld in the court,” he said.

“The interpretation and application of those laws should not be eroded by industrial lobbying.” 

Katie Brassil, Centennial Coal’s executive general manager of external affairs said that Springvale’s mine water “poses no health risks to Sydney’s drinking water”. 

“It is naturally occurring groundwater removed from the coal seam to allow for safe mining,” Ms Brassil said. 

“It meets the current Australian Drinking Water Guideline.”

She said the current salinity of the mine water, approximately 1,200 EC (electrical conductivity units), is considered by guidelines to be fair quality drinking water. 

“In comparison seawater is approximately 50,000 EC,” she said.

The 2011 Australian Water Drinking Guidelines dictates that water of approximately 0-900 EC is of ‘good’ quality, and 900-1,400 is fair. 

The doctor, who practices at Bowenfels Medical Practice and the Upper Mountains Medical Centre said he was concerned by the pattern of Centennia’s behaviour in meeting its environmental responsibilities.  

“I think they are making a big song about the position they are in but its there own position, the PAC allowed them to keep polluting the Coxs River for two years and they’ve done nothing to address it,” he said.

Ms Brassil refuted the claims that Centennial Coal had done nothing to address water quality concerns. 

“It was the decision of Centennial and EnergyAustralia to build a water treatment facility that went beyond what the PAC and the consent required.  Springvale will discharge no water as a result of the water treatment facility,” Ms Brassil said.

“When securing its 2015 planning consent Springvale committed to significantly improve the quality of water discharged into the Coxs River and the Sydney Drinking Water Catchment,” she said.

“This commitment was incorporated into the conditions of consent and needed to be met by June 2019.  As a result Centennial Coal and EnergyAustralia have approval to build a water treatment facility that will be finished in June 2019.”