Rivers and creeks water quality monitoring

Melbourne Water monitors the water quality of rivers and creeks at over 73 sites throughout the Melbourne and metropolitan area, which are highlighted on the following map. The data collected from these sites assists Melbourne Water in determining the priorities for rehabilitation of rivers and creeks. The following information outlines Melbourne Water's compliance with the State Environment Protection Policy from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007 and the results of our monitoring of rivers and creeks and our performance in meeting EPA Victoria requirements to alert the agency to problem spots in rivers and creeks.

Melbourne Water has been publishing water quality data regularly in our annual reports for several years. Data from our long-term monitoring program varies little over the years. Key features are:

Water quality varies considerably across the Port Phillip and Westernport region. While some sites are in excellent condition, others will have very poor quality
Typically water quality reflects the catchment and, as such, tends to be poorer within urban rivers and creeks subject to excessive stormwater volumes and associated pollutants. For example, E.coli and nitrogen levels were higher than the SEPP standard in Watsons Creek at Dandenong-Hastings Road, Somerville most probably due to fertiliser run-off from market gardens upstream. On the other hand, rivers and creeks flowing through forested catchments within the region tend to have very good water quality.
Many sites do not currently meet State Environment Protection Policy objectives, although waterway and catchment management aims to achieve them over the life of the policy. Such activities include the treatment of urban stormwater through water sensitive urban design and uptake of environmental best practice land management in rural areas, and through the investigation and mitigation of point sources of pollution
Currently Melbourne Water, in conjunction with a range of stakeholders (including EPA Victoria, Department of Sustainability and Environment, Department of Primary Industry, Department of Human Services, Municipal Association of Victoria and the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority) and part funding from the Department of Environment and Heritage, is developing a Water Quality Improvement Plan for the Port Phillip and Westernport catchments. This plan will provide important direction for the ongoing improvement and protection of water quality in the region.

Please note: the following tables refer to the monitoring sites depicted in the map.

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Rivers and creeks water quality monitoring results

The following tables show results from the river and creek monitoring sites with the relevant state environmental protection policy objective described at the top of each section. A cell coloured green indicates compliance with state environmental protection policy and a red cell indicates non-compliance. These objectives vary between different state environmental protection policies and also between segments within each state environmental protection policy. The map shows site locations.

WATERS OF THE YARRA CATCHMENT

		DO% Min	EC 75%	pH Min	pH Max	Turb 50%	TP Max	TN Max	E Coli Geo- mean	Sus Solids 50%	Sus Solids 75%	Sus Solids 90%	Lead Max	Zinc Max
	Location	% sat	uS/cm	ph units	ph units	NTU	mg/l	mg/l	org / 100ml	mg/L	mg/L	mg/L	mg/L	mg/L
Rural Eastern Waters
SEPP Objective		80	N/A	6	8.5	15	0.05	0.6	200	20	N/A	40	0.0034	0.008
17	Arthurs Creek at Hurstbridge-Arhturs Creek Road, Hurstbridge	29		6.6	7.8	11	0.09	1.614	39.68	5.5		16.6	0.002	0.074
11	Cockatoo Creek at Tschampions Road, Macclesfield	63		6.4	7.5	23	0.058	1.716	39.84	7		13.9	0.002	0.011
18	Diamond Creek at Strathewan Road, Cottlesbridge	18		6	7.1	6	0.083	1.8115	109.37	6		8.6	0.008	0.016
8	Little Yarra River at Corduroy Road, Yarra Junction	64		6.2	7.5	13.5	0.056	1.195	282.29	9		13.8	0.002	0.02
14	Steels Creek at Yarra Glen-Healesville Road, Yarra Glen	44		6.4	7.1	13	0.018	0.912	54.04	7		15.2	0.002	0.011
15	Stringybark Creek at Melba Highway, Yering	47		6.7	7.8	9.5	0.15	1.756	80.7	4.5		11.6	0.001	0.01
12	Wandin Yallock Creek at Killara Road, Gruyere	25		6.4	7.5	8.5	0.049	1.968	66.7	4.5		12.6	0.001	0.007
16	Watsons Creek at Henley Road, Kangaroo Road	42		7	7.8	2.5	0.035	0.546	46.51	2.5		9.8	0.004	0.02
10	Woori Yallock Creek at Macclesfield-Woori Yallock Road, Yellingbo	62		6.7	7.5	17	0.057	1.506	125.9	7		12.8	0.003	0.009
9	Woori Yallock Creek at Warburton Highway, Woori Yallock	62		6.3	7.5	19.5	0.077	1.507	169.49	7		10.9	0.002	0.014
13	Watts River at Healesville-Kinglake Road, Healesville	51		6	8	8	0.06	1.859	341.98	5		9.9	0.002	0.012
1	Yarra River at McKenzie-King Drive, Millgrove	66		6.1	7.8	3	0.024	0.912	157.3	2		4.9	0.001	0.016
2	Yarra River at Don Road, Launching Place	64		6.3	7.5	6	0.027	0.914	179.1	4		7.8	0.002	0.018
3	Yarra River at Maroondah Hwy, Healesville	65		6.2	7.5	12	0.055	1.246	213.43	7		9.9	0.002	0.012
4	Yarra River at Spadonis Reserve, Coldstream	58		6.8	7.8	11	0.05	1.186	204.81	8		11.9	0.003	0.008
Rural Western Waters
SEPP Objective		60	N/A	6	8.5	25	0.05	0.6	200	25	N/A	90	0.0034	0.008
20	Merri Creek at Summerhill Road, Craigieburn	46		7.1	8.3	4	0.13	1.312	48.56	12		18.8	0.014	0.04
19	Plenty River at Kurrak Road, South Morang	33		6.8	7.9	9	0.079	1.413	46.56	5		12.6	0.003	0.016
Upper Estuary
SEPP Objective		60	N/A	6.5	8.5	30	N/A	N/A	200	50	N/A	90	0.0034	0.008
7	Yarra River at Princes Bridge, Melbourne	52		6.7	8.1	5.5			228.1	18		32	0.02	0.08
Urban Waters
SEPP Objective		60	N/A	6	8.5	30	0.08	0.9	200	25	N/A	90	0.0034	0.008
24	Andersons Creek at Everard Drive, Warrandyte	10		6.6	7.7	17	0.56	5.058	248.47	6.5		20	0.004	0.041
22	Brushy Creek at Lower Homestead Road, Wonga Park	60		6.9	7.6	18.5	0.65	13.75	485.32	12		16	0.002	0.049
31	Darebin Creek at Clark Road, Alphington	56		6.9	8.4	8.5	0.21	2.219	914.4	10.5		43.7	0.014	0.28
29	Diamond Creek at Main Road, Eltham	34		6.8	8.3	20.5	0.12	1.218	348.59	18		27.5	0.009	0.072
28	Gardiners Creek at Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn	43		6.9	9.4	7.5	0.16	2.39	378.23	6.5		34.7	0.017	0.21
23	Jumping Creek at Jumping Creek Road, Wonga Park	29		6.9	8.1	5.5	0.076	1.235	123.14	4		13.7	0.003	0.022
27	Koonung Creek at Bulleen Road, Bulleen	29		6.8	8.1	14.5	0.2	3.29	859.44	9		24.7	0.008	0.17
32	Merri Creek at Roseneath Street, Yarra Bend	58		6.9	8.8	6.5	0.18	1.847	275	2.5		51.6	0.023	0.32
33	Moonee Ponds Creek at Racecourse Road, Flemington	26		6.9	8.8	7	0.19	4.2	1103.04	7		17.6	0.007	0.14
25	Mullum Mullum Creek at Deep Creek Reserve, Warrandyte	48		6.9	7.8	19.5	0.34	5.145	397.61	15.5		29.7	0.004	0.07
21	Olinda Creek at MacIntyre Lane, Coldstream	61		7	7.6	12.5	0.12	5.322	254.67	6.5		20.5	0.002	0.019
30	Plenty River at Henty Road, Lower Plenty	38		6.9	8.8	20	0.16	1.526	350.43	19		31	0.006	0.05
26	Ruffey Creek at Parker Street, Templestowe	46		7.1	8	6	0.25	2.725	624.52	5.5		7.9	0.002	0.14
5	Yarra River at Kangaroo Ground-Warrandyte Road, Warrandyte	58		6.8	7.9	9	0.058	1.148	79.62	6		12.9	0.002	0.023
6	Yarra River at Chandler Hwy, Kew	45		6.6	8	16.5	0.076	1.381	312.76	16		27.4	0.005	0.1

WATERS OF VICTORIA

		DO% 25%	EC 75%	pH 25%	pH 75%	Turb 75%	TP 75%	TN 75%	E coli 50%	Sus Solids 50%	Sus Solids 75%	Sus Solids 90%	Lead Max	Zinc Max
	Location	% sat	uS/ cm	ph units	ph units	NTU	mg/l	mg/l	org / 100ml	mg/L	mg/L	mg/L	mg/L	mg/L
Cleared Hills & Coastal Plains Werribee/Maribyrnong
SEPP Objective		85	1500	6.5	8.3	10	0.05	0.6	150	N/A	N/A	N/A	0.0034	0.008
66	Maribyrnong River at Brimbank Park Ford (upstream Taylors Creek), Keilor	50	2300	7.6	7.9	10	0.05	1.33	70				0.002	0.017
67	Maribyrnong River at Canning Street Ford, Avondale Heights	57.25	2300	7.6	8.05	15.3	0.063	0.9815	70				0.002	0.023
73	Maribyrnong River at end of Newsom St. Ascot Vale West	53	43000	7.6	7.825	8.25	0.17	0.743	60				0.04	0.29
68	Steele Creek at Rose Avenue, Niddrie	66.25	965	7.6	8.125	9.25	0.048	0.64875	150				0.013	0.31
69	Stony Creek at Bena Street, Yarraville	55.75	332.5	7.275	8.05	20.8	0.423	2.5525	2300				0.019	0.41
70	Kororoit Creek at Millbank Drive, Deer Park	49	2275	7.4	7.7	7.25	0.057	0.6995	45				0.001	0.014
71	Kororoit Creek at Racecourse Road Ford, Altona	46	33000	7.8	8.125	27.3	0.223	1.7215	135				0.02	0.04
72	Skeleton Creek at Ayr Street, Laverton	46.75	4875	7.3	7.6	13.5	0.198	0.7735	250				0.008	0.1
Cleared Hills & Coastal Plains Westernport
SEPP Objective		85	500	6.4	7.7	10	0.05	0.6	150	N/A	N/A	N/A	0.0034	0.008
38	Corhan- warrabul Creek at Wellington Road, Rowville	52	485	6.8	7.4	30	0.088	1.28725	230				0.009	0.14
35	Dandenong Creek at Boronia Road, Wantirna	59.25	605	7.1	7.4	17.5	0.103	1.84125	135				0.011	0.21
36	Dandenong Creek at Stud Road, Dandenong North	60	572.5	6.85	7.55	39.8	0.083	1.1785	150				0.006	0.076
37	Dandenong Creek at Pillars Crossing, Dandenong South	69.75	710	6.975	7.825	52.8	0.101	1.29175	160				0.007	0.15
45	Elster Creek at Cochrane Street, Elwood	54	522.5	7.1	7.7	13	0.1	1.33525	2200				0.014	0.65
42	Eumem- merring Creek at Worsley Road, Bangholme	66.25	900	7.325	7.75	17.8	0.148	1.48275	150				0.005	0.15
41	Hallam Main Drain at South Gippsland Highway, Hampton Park	58	1100	6.875	7.45	16.8	0.063	1.04925	150				0.004	0.027
44	Kananook Creek at Wells Street, Frankston	44.5	40750	7.65	7.95	10.8	0.14	0.84325	480				0.02	0.13
39	Mile Creek at Cheltenham Road, Keysborough	63	1900	6.8	7.8	16	0.11	1.548	560				0.005	0.29
43	Mordialloc Creek at Wells Road, Mordialloc	51.25	19000	7.175	7.725	38.3	0.215	1.30825	165				0.01	0.2
40	National Water Sports Centre outlet, Bangholme	66.75	30000	7.9	8.15	43.3	0.128	1.348	130				0.02	0.1
46	Balcombe Creek at footbridge off Uralla Drive, Mt Martha	49.5	1575	7.2	7.7	18	0.087	1.25625	490				0.003	0.085
48	Chinamans Creek at Eastborne Road, Rosebud West	30.5	1025	7.2	7.6	7.25	0.133	1.2365	580				0.009	0.12
47	Dunns Creek at Marine Drive, Safety Beach	62.5	6075	7.4	7.6	7.75	0.071	0.745	990				0.02	0.04
49	Main Creek at Boneo Road, Flinders	76.5	2525	7.45	7.95	3.25	0.026	0.55075	40				0.005	0.014
Forest-A
SEPP Objective		90	100	6.4	7.7	5	0.03	0.5	150	N/A	N/A	N/A	0.001	0.0024
34	Dandenong Creek at Sheffield Road, Doongalla Forest	74.25	160	6.775	7.625	11	0.039	1.21975	80				0.001	0.011

WATERS OF WESTERN PORT BAY & CATCHMENT

		DO% Min	EC 75%	pH Min	pH Max	Turb 50%	TP Max	TN Max	E Coli Geo- mean	Sus Solids 50%	Sus Solids 75%	Sus Solids 90%	Lead Max	Zinc Max
	Location	% sat	uS/cm	ph units	ph units	NTU	mg/l	mg/l	org / 100ml	mg/L	mg/L	mg/L	mg/L	mg/L
Lowlands & Phillip Island
SEPP Objective		80	N/A	6.5	9	15	0.05	0.6	200	20	30	N/A	0.0034	0.008
62	Bunyip River at Healesville Koo-Wee-Rup Road, Koo-Wee-Rup	64		4.3	8.5	24	0.35	2.5065	62.08	28	35		0.005	0.28
54	Cardinia Creek at Ballarto Road, Cardinia	60		6.9	8.4	19.5	0.099	2.177	194.76	18.5	30.75		0.007	0.026
57	Deep Creek at Ballarto Road, Rythdale	38		6.7	7.7	83	1.2	3.966	212.97	81.5	89.25		0.006	0.034
56	Toomuc Creek at Ballarto Road, Rythdale	28		6.7	8.1	22.5	0.14	1.645	124.95	18	21.25		0.003	0.018
52	Warrangine Creek at Frankston-Flinders Road, Hastings	39		6.9	7.9	8	0.093	1.532	250.17	6.5	12.5		0.01	0.12
50	Watsons Creek at Dandenong-Hastings Road, Somerville	21		6.7	7.6	10	1.6	291.575	365.76	13	21		0.013	0.076
63	Yallock Outfall at South Gippsland Highway, Monomeith	51		7.1	7.8	94	0.65	6.899	81.04	44.5	77.75		0.01	0.026
Northern Hills
SEPP Objective		85	N/A	6.5	9	5	0.03	0.2	200	5	10		0.001	0.0024
59	Bunyip River at North Labertouche Road, Labertouche	53		6.6	8.2	6.5	0.031	0.904	54.69	5	9.25		0.002	0.032
60	Bunyip River d/s Cannibal Creek, Longwarry North	57		6.8	8.2	10.5	0.042	0.875	327.52	13	14.25		0.002	0.009
53	Cardinia Creek at Chadwick Road, Upper Beaconsfield	62		6.8	8.7	4.5	0.042	3.27	114.34	2	5.75		0.002	0.024
58	Tarago River at Morrisons Road, Labertouche	55		6.7	8.3	7	0.065	1.365	325.6	8	9.75		0.002	0.011
55	Toomuc Creek at Princes Highway, Pakenham	22		6.5	8.1	12	0.098	2.45	117.39	7.5	10.5		0.002	0.045
Peninsula
SEPP Objective		80	N/A	6.5	9	15	0.05	0.6	200	20	30		0.0034	0.008
51	Merricks Creek at Bridge Street, Merricks (Beach Road)	38		6.9	8.2	6	0.16	3.534	164.98	13	20		0.02	0.04
South Eastern Rural
SEPP Objective		80	N/A	6.5	9	15	0.05	0.6	200	20	30		0.0034	0.008
61	Bunyip River at Little Road, Iona	58		6.6	8	9.5	0.1	1.015	671.94	8	11.75		0.002	0.009
65	Lang Lang River upstream Drouin-Poowong Road, Athlone	17		6.7	8.1	10.5	0.42	1.694	230.59	6	7.25		0.001	0.019
64	Lang Lang River at South Gippsland Highway, Lang Lang	46		7	7.9	15	0.31	5.29	204.27	6	165		0.008	0.03

Alerting EPA Victoria to problem spots in rivers and creeks

Alert levels are generally well above water quality objectives specified in relevant state environment protection policies, representing instances of particularly undesirable water quality. Melbourne Water is required to report all alert-level exceedances that occur within our operating area to EPA Victoria. The notifications identify sites that often experience poor water quality and also provide a mechanism for locating and mitigating chronic pollution problems.

During 2006/07, there were a total of 387 alert level exceedances reported to EPA Victoria, or approximately 2% of the analyses performed.

The key problem sites for the year included:

Watsons Creek at Dandenong-Hastings Road, Somerville, most probably due to fertiliser run-off from market gardens upstream

Stony Creek at Bena Street, Yarraville, due to the highly urbanised and industrial catchment of Stony Creek.
Brushy Creek at Lower Homestead Road Bridge, Wonga Park, most probably associated with upstream wastewater treatment plant discharges.

The following table shows how alert level exceedances have varied over the past five years.

Year	Alert level exceedances
2000/01	511
2001/02	246
2002/03	343
2003/04	395
2004/05	431
2005/06	348
2006/07	387

Sustainability Report 2006/07

Rivers and creeks water quality monitoring

Rivers and creeks water quality monitoring results

Alerting EPA Victoria to problem spots in rivers and creeks