It has been reported that the New South Wales Government, Sydney Water, would be routinely conducting test for the strains of cryptosporidium and giardia. The two parasites, cryptosporidium and giardia, are water born vermin which have potential of causing diarrhea, weight loss and other stomach related infections.

It has been reported that the national guideline issued for the testing of the two water born vermin has been relaxed by the government. But the Sydney Walter believes that there is still a need to routinely test the parasites.

Moreover, the Sydney Walter will also be testing aggressively for N-Nitrosodimethylamine also known as NDMA. It has been revealed that the NDMA is potential of triggering cancer in humans. The drinking water of Australia has been under scanner since 1998, when the first case of cryptosporidium and giardia bugs was discovered.

The Australian authorities, at that time, issued an alert to the public asking them to boil water before consuming it. Since 1998, it is for the very first time when relaxation has been introduced over the testing of drinking water.

In the last seven years, the National Health and Medical Research Council have introduced several amendments in the guidelines to make sure that the people are provided with contamination-free water. However, the strains of cryptosporidium and giardia have almost been eliminated from drinking water. But still there is a need to keep the water quality at check.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has recommended that the level of endocrine disrupting chemicals like as oestrogen or steroids should be reduced in the water as it has been found that these chemicals are posing a threat to hormones of human. However, while criticizing the recommendation of the Agency, the Council said that the agency has found "inadequate evidence" to link hormonal disruption and disinfecting chemicals.