Port Waterways Water Quality Improvement Plan—Stage 1
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Port Waterways Water Quality Improvement Plan—Stage 1 For further information please contact: Environment Protection Authority GPO Box 2607 ADELAIDE SA 5001 Telephone: (08) 8204 2004 Fax: (08) 8204 9393 Freecall: 1800 623 445 (for non-metropolitan callers) E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.epa.sa.gov.au ISBN 1 876562 89 7 July 2005 © Environment Protection Authority This document may be reproduced in whole or part for the purpose of study or training, subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source and to its not being used for commercial purposes or sale. Reproduction for purposes other than those given above requires the prior written permission of the environment protection authority. Printed on recycled paper Contents Introduction .....................................................................1 Background ........................................................................... 1 Study area ............................................................................ 2 Study requirements ................................................................. 2 Draft WQIP water quality objectives ............................................. 5 Environmental Values and Current Status ................................6 Environmental values ............................................................... 6 Current water quality status...................................................... 15 Sediment quality status............................................................ 22 Nutrients and the Protection and Maintenance of Marine Ecosystems ....................................................... 26 Loss of marine communities by development.................................. 26 Seagrass .............................................................................. 28 Mangroves............................................................................ 29 Saltmarsh ............................................................................ 30 Toxic algal blooms.................................................................. 32 Ammonia as a toxicant............................................................. 32 Interaction with other contaminants/parameters............................. 33 Nutrients and the potential spread of Caulerpa taxifolia .................... 34 Nutrients and Recreation ................................................... 35 Ecosystem-based recreation ...................................................... 35 Amenity and aesthetic enjoyment ............................................... 35 Nutrient Sources, Current Load Reduction and Planning Initiatives ...................................................................... 36 Sources of nutrients ................................................................ 37 SA Water wastewater treatment plant EIPs .................................... 39 EPA-licensed industry activities .................................................. 40 Municipal landfills .................................................................. 45 Catchment water management plans ........................................... 45 Port Adelaide Enfield Council (PAEC) activities ............................... 49 Proposed development ............................................................ 49 Marine planning for Gulf St Vincent ............................................. 57 Nutrient Load Reduction.................................................... 60 Nutrient load reduction projections ............................................. 60 Internal sources ..................................................................... 60 Nutrient load reduction with current initiatives .............................. 65 Ecological benefits of current nutrient reduction initiatives................ 83 Water quality objectives—nutrient concentrations and performance indicators ............................................................................ 85 Load reduction objectives......................................................... 86 iii Environmental Flows.........................................................88 Interruptions in tidal flows ....................................................... 88 Constructed wetlands and fish passage opportunities ....................... 89 Bibliography ...................................................................92 Appendix 1 Assessment of Groundwater Fluxes and Contaminant Loads (Australian Groundwater Technologies, March 2004) .........97 Appendix 2 Atmospheric Deposition of Nutrients (P Christie, EPA 2004) .............................................. 115 Appendix 3 Comparison of all known nutrient sources............ 119 Appendix 4 Pollutant Load Allocation—Percentage Change in Nutrient Loads (individual sources) ....................... 123 List of Tables Table 1 Statistical summary of ammonia (nitrogen) at nine sites in the Port River 1995-2000 .............................................. 16 Table 2 Statistical summary of oxidised nitrogen at nine sites in the Port River 1995-2000 .............................................. 16 Table 3 Statistical summary of TKN at nine sites in the Port River 1995-2000................................................... 17 Table 4 Statistical summary of total phosphorus at nine sites in the Port River 1995-2000................................................... 17 Table 5 Default trigger values for physical and chemical stressors for south central Australia (low rainfall areas) for slightly disturbed ecosystems. ................................................. 17 Table 6 Environmental values, water quality issues and water quality objectives (nutrients).................................................. 21 Table 7 Summary of environmental values from community consultation ............................................................. 22 Table 8 Sediment site classification ........................................... 25 Table 9 Dolphin study—Sediment site classification......................... 25 Table 10 Main sources of nutrients to the Port waterways.................. 38 Table 11 Percentage nutrient reduction from Port Adelaide WWTP....... 65 Table 12 Percentage nutrient reduction from Bolivar WWTP ............... 68 Table 13 Overall nutrient load reduction from WWTP ....................... 71 Table 14 Overall nutrient load reduction from WWTP ....................... 72 Table 15 Incitec Pivot stormwater discharges ................................. 73 Table 16 Pollutant load allocations—Total nitrogen .......................... 77 Table 17 Pollutant load allocations—Total phosphorus ...................... 78 Table 18 Overall percentage nutrient load reduction (all sources) ........ 80 Table 19 Percentage nutrient load reductions for point, diffuse and natural sources.......................................................... 80 Table 20 Percentage nutrient load reduction—non-natural sources only . 80 Table 21 Bolivar WWTP monthly discharge trends—Total N ................. 85 Table 22 Bolivar WWTP monthly discharge trends—Total P ................. 85 iv List of Figures Figure 1: Current EPA projects .................................................... 3 Figure 2 Study area ................................................................. 4 Figure 3 Main features and segments for water quality ..................... 11 Figure 4 Ulva proliferation, donoflagellate blooms and Caulerpa taxifolia ....................................................... 12 Figure 5 Water quality classification ........................................... 13 Figure 6 Sediment classification................................................. 14 Figure 7 Ecosystem decline—condition of mangroves, seagrass and saltmarsh ................................................................. 27 Figure 8 Location of major activities and discharges ........................ 39 Figure 9 Overview of industrial uses within the port area .................. 51 Figure 10 Future land use—Outer Harbor precinct............................. 52 Figure 11 Future land use—naval precinct ...................................... 52 Figure 12 Future land use—Osborne precinct................................... 53 Figure 13 Future land use—Snowden Beach precinct.......................... 53 Figure 14 Future land use—Elder Road precinct................................ 54 Figure 15 Future land use—Gillman West precinct............................. 54 Figure 16 Concept plan for the Port Front Redevelopment (from www.lmc.sa.gov.au) ............................................ 55 Figure 17 Sources of annual nitrogen loads (tonnes per year: 1995–6, 2002–3, 2006–7, 2010–11) .............................................. 63 Figure 18 Sources of annual phosphorus loads (tonnes per year: 1995–6, 2002–3, 2006–7, 2010–11) .............................................. 64 Figure 19 Comparison of annual loads—total N (Pt Adelaide WWTP) ....... 66 Figure 20 Comparison of annual loads—Total P (Port Adelaide WWTP) .... 66 Figure 21 Discharge trends from Port Adelaide WWTP—Total N............. 67 Figure 22 Discharge trends from Port Adelaide WWTP—Total P ............. 67 Figure 23 Comparison of annual loads—Total N Bolivar WWTP .............. 69 Figure 24 Comparison of annual loads—Total P Bolivar WWTP............... 69 Figure 25 Discharge trends from Bolivar WWTP—Total N ..................... 70 Figure 26 Discharge trends from Bolivar WWTP—Total P ..................... 70 Figure 27 Predicted annual loads of total N—Bolivar WWTP ................. 71 Figure 28 Discharge