What Canberra wastewater shows about drug use
The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission's National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program Report 25 estimates ACT methylamphetamine consumption at 155.1 kg in 2024–25, the highest the program has recorded for the ACT. The same report found that MDMA and heroin consumption both fell in the ACT that year. It also noted that ketamine continued a slowly rising trend in Canberra while levels fell in many other jurisdictions.
Wastewater figures describe a whole population, not any single home, and no figure says a given property is affected.
Choosing the drugs in a Canberra scope
The fee proposal lists each drug of concern. Where methylamphetamine is included, it is analysed by LC-MS/MS following NIOSH Method 9111 at a NATA-accredited laboratory. For the other drugs, the report names the laboratory and states any accreditation that applies. Test Australia itself is not NATA-accredited. Results for each drug are reported separately, so one finding is never blended into another.
See multi-drug panel testing, testing beyond meth and the national drug residue testing page for how panels are built.
National guidelines that apply to Canberra homes
The national Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Guidelines (2011) were prepared by the Attorney-General's Department and the Australian Crime Commission, with input from Australian governments. They set 0.5 µg/100 cm² as the residential indoor-surface investigation level for methylamphetamine. A result above it triggers further investigation or remediation. It is not a line between safe and unsafe.
Test Australia has not found ACT-specific guidance on drug residue in homes. For drugs other than methylamphetamine, the report names the criterion it uses and explains why. No concentration on its own shows that drugs were made or used at a property. This is general information, not legal advice.
Canberra rentals where a tenancy may end
Clause 86 of the ACT standard residential tenancy terms lets the lessor or the tenant end a tenancy by written notice if the premises are not fit for habitation. Whether drug residue brings a home to that point is a legal question for the parties, the tribunal or a lawyer. A report with results for each drug gives everyone the same measured figures, and the tenant rights guide sets out the position for renters. Whether a tribunal, court or insurer relies on a report is a decision for them. This is general information, not legal advice.
Who asks for drug residue testing in Canberra
Common requests include:
- lessors after a tenancy ended with suspected use of a drug other than methylamphetamine,
- owners of a home that may have been used to grow cannabis, covered in our grow house guide,
- tenants who want measured results before deciding what to do about a lease,
- insurers and loss adjusters assessing a claim that names more than one substance,
- owners who had cleaning done by others and want the same drugs tested again.
Planning one visit for several drugs in Canberra
If methylamphetamine is also a concern, including it in the same scope as the other drugs avoids a second visit. The meth screening kits detect methylamphetamine only, so they cannot answer a question about cocaine or ketamine. Test Australia does not clean or refer cleaners, as explained in why we stay independent.
Browse the types of assessment work we carry out, read the landlord guide, or return to the Canberra hub for meth testing in Canberra and vehicle meth testing in Canberra.
How a Canberra drug residue assessment proceeds
- List the drugs of concern. Tell us the Canberra address, which drugs are suspected and why, and any lease, sale or claim date.
- Approve a drug-by-drug scope. The fee proposal names each drug, the areas to be sampled and what the report is for.
- Collect surface samples. Suitably qualified occupational hygienists take wipes from the agreed surfaces and send them under chain of custody.
- Results for each drug. Each drug is reported separately against its named criterion. Reports are available within 5 business days of the laboratory results being received.
Questions about drugs beyond meth in Canberra
Why test a Canberra property for drugs other than meth?
Some ACT questions involve another drug, such as a tenancy where cocaine or ketamine use is alleged. ACIC Report 25 shows ketamine continued a slowly rising trend in Canberra. A drug residue scope lists each drug of concern, and the results for each are reported separately.
Did ACT methylamphetamine use rise in 2024–25?
ACIC wastewater Report 25 estimates ACT methylamphetamine consumption at 155.1 kg in 2024–25, the highest the program has recorded for the territory. Wastewater figures describe the whole population and say nothing about any single Canberra home. Only testing the property itself does that.
Is there an ACT level for drug residues other than meth?
Test Australia has not found ACT guidance on drug residue in homes. The national 2011 guidelines give 0.5 µg/100 cm² as the residential indoor-surface investigation level for methylamphetamine. For other drugs, the report names the criterion used and explains why. This is general information, not legal advice.
Which guidelines apply to drug residue in ACT homes?
The 2011 national Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Guidelines were prepared by the Attorney-General's Department and the Australian Crime Commission, with input from Australian governments. They are the national reference for methylamphetamine residue. Test Australia has not found separate ACT guidance. For other drugs in a Canberra home, the report names its criterion.
Can an ACT tenancy end because of drug residue?
Clause 86 of the ACT standard residential tenancy terms lets the lessor or the tenant end a tenancy by written notice if the premises are not fit for habitation. Whether residue reaches that point is a legal question. A report gives measured results for each drug. This is general information, not legal advice.
Can a home kit test a Canberra property for cocaine or ketamine?
No. Test Australia's meth screening kits detect methylamphetamine only, as a presumptive test at a 0.5 µg/100 cm² cut-off. They do not measure a concentration. Questions about other drugs in a Canberra property need surface samples analysed by a laboratory.
Can meth and other drugs be tested in one Canberra visit?
Yes. Putting methylamphetamine in the same scope as the other drugs avoids a second visit. Methylamphetamine is analysed by LC-MS/MS following NIOSH Method 9111 at a NATA-accredited laboratory. For other drugs, the report names the laboratory and states any accreditation that applies.
When will my Canberra drug residue report be ready?
Reports are available within 5 business days of the laboratory results being received. Laboratory time is separate, so give any ACT lease, sale or claim date when you enquire. The fee proposal sets out the scope and the drugs before anything is booked.