Treated effluent environmental flows
Project details
| Objective: | To provide data, analysis and information on the possible effects of endocrine disruptive compounds on the environment. |
| Funding: |
Total project value is $768,000 including $340,000 from Raising National Water Standards Program, $372,000 from CSIRO and $56,000 from Land and Water Australia (LWA). |
| Jurisdiction: | National |
| Commenced: | 1 July 2008 (under agreement with LWA). Transferred to the National Water Commission 30 October 2009 |
| Completion: | 20 December 2011 |
About the project
Water scarcity in Australia is becoming more pronounced, driven in part by climate change. As water scarcity affects environmental flows, Australia must seek alternative sources of water to supplement these flows in the future. One potential source of water is treated sewage effluent.
It is therefore important that we understand the ecological implications of the release of treated effluent, especially in relation to the impact of organic contaminants such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on native fish populations. EDCs and other micro-pollutants are of particular concern because they may not be fully removed by existing treatment technology and because they have been found to be present in Australian environments in concentrations that are ecologically relevant. This study seeks to establish the implications of using treated effluent for native fish species in local Australian environments.
Project benefits
This project will contribute to global developments on the issue of EDCs, and will inform Australian communities and stakeholders on the state of science in this area. The project supports a number of National Water Initiative objectives including provision of healthy, safe and reliable water supplies, improving water use efficiency and innovation.
The research study will:
- assist with the ecological risk assessment of aquatic ecosystems
- identify scenarios for safe discharge of effluents from sewage treatment plants into riverine environments
- contribute to sustainable reuse of treated effluent as environmental flows.