2016-02-02 P&O Committee - Item 3 - Attachment 3 - Noosa River Environmental Values and Water Quality Objectives

Noosa River environmental values and water quality objectives



    Environmental           Water type/          Water quality objectives to protect EV
    value                       area             (refer to specified codes and guidelines for full details)
                           (refer Table 1
                              and Plan
                              WQ1401)
                                                                                    9
    Suitability for      coastal,                Objectives as per NHMRC (2008) , including:
    primary contact      estuarine and           • Water free of physical (floating and submerged) hazards
    recreation           freshwaters             • Temperature: 16–34°C
                                                 • pH: 6.5 – 8.5
                                                 • DO: >80%
                                                 • Faecal contamination: designated recreational waters are protected
                                                     against direct contamination with fresh faecal material, particularly of
                                                     human or domesticated animal origin. Two principal components are
                                                     required for assessing faecal contamination:
                                                          • assessment of evidence for the likely influence of faecal
                                                          material; and
                                                          • counts of suitable faecal indicator bacteria (usually
                                                          enterococci).
                                                     These two components are combined to produce an overall microbial
                                                     classification of the recreational water body.
                                                                                 th
                                                 • Intestinal enterococci: 95 %ile ≤40 organisms per 100mL (for
                                                     healthy adults) (NHMRC, 2008; Table 5.7)
                                                 • Direct contact with venomous or dangerous aquatic organisms
                                                     should be avoided. Recreational water bodies should be reasonably
                                                     free of, or protected from, venomous organisms (eg box jellyfish and
                                                     bluebottles).
                                                 • Cyanobacteria/algae - coastal/estuarine: recreational water bodies
                                                     should not contain ≥ 10 cells/mL Karenia brevis and/or have Lyngbya
                                                     majuscula and/or Pfiesteria present in high numbers.
                                                 • Cyanobacteria/algae – fresh water: recreational water bodies should
                                                     not contain ≥10 µg/L total microcystins; ≥50 000 cells/mL toxic
                                                                                                                  3
                                                     Microcystis aeruginosa; or biovolume equivalent of ≥4 mm /L for the
                                                     combined total of all cyanobacteria where a known toxin producer is
                                                                                                     3
                                                     dominant in the total biovolume; OR ≥10 mm /L for total biovolume of
                                                     all cyanobacterial material where known toxins are not present; OR•
                                                     cyanobacterial scums consistently present. Further details contained
                                                     in Table 5.
                                                 Waters contaminated with chemicals that are either toxic or irritating to
                                                 the skin or mucous membranes are unsuitable for recreational purposes.
    Suitability for      coastal,                Objectives as per NHMRC (2008), including:
                                                                                 th
    secondary            estuarine and           • Intestinal enterococci: 95 %ile ≤40 organisms per 100mL (for
    contact              freshwaters                 healthy adults) (NHMRC, 2008; Table 5.7)
    recreation
    Suitability for      coastal,                Objectives as per NHMRC (2008), including:
    visual recreation    estuarine and           Recreational water bodies should be aesthetically acceptable to
                         freshwaters             recreational users. The water should be free from visible materials that
                                                 may settle to form objectionable deposits; floating debris, oil, scum and
                                                 other matter; substances producing objectionable colour, odour, taste or
                                                 turbidity; and substances and conditions that produce undesirable
                                                 aquatic life.
    Protection of        coastal, estuarine      Protect or restore indigenous and non-indigenous cultural heritage consistent
    cultural and         and freshwaters,        with relevant policies and plans.
    spiritual values     ground waters


9
 The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has updated the recreational water quality guidelines
established in the AWQG (2000). These are available from the NHMRC website at:
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/file/publications/synopses/eh38.pdf



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