Indicator: IW-19 Exceedance of total nitrogen and phosphorus water quality triggers
Data
| Major exceedances | Significant exceedances | Number of basins assessed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Vic | 17 | 6 | 25 |
| Qld | 5 | 4 | 11 |
| WA | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| SA | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| ACT | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Total | 19 | 19 | 50 |
Adapted from source: National Land and Water Resources Audit 2001, Australian Water Resources Assessment 2000. Surface water and groundwater - availability and quality, Land and Water, Canberra, viewed 5 Dec 2005, http://audit.ea.gov.au/ANRA/water/docs/national/Water_Quality.html.
| Major exceedances | Significant exceedances | Number of basins assessed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 16 | 7 | 27 |
| Vic | 18 | 4 | 25 |
| Qld | 4 | 5 | 15 |
| WA | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| SA | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| ACT | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 42 | 20 | 75 |
Adapted from source: National Land and Water Resources Audit 2001, Australian Water Resources Assessment 2000. Surface water and groundwater - availability and quality, Land and Water, Canberra, viewed 5 Dec 2005, http://audit.ea.gov.au/ANRA/water/docs/national/Water_Quality.html.
Widespread exceedances of water nutrient guidelines occur across Australia. They affect the majority of the more intensively developed basins in the North-East Coast, Murray-Darling, South-East Coast and South-West Coast Drainage Divisions. Basins with nutrient levels within guidelines are generally the relatively well-vegetated and less developed ones within areas such as north Queensland, north-eastern Victoria and south-western Western Australia.
The available trend data suggests that:
- six of the basins with exceedances in the Murray-Darling Drainage Division had decreasing nutrient concentration trends, while two basins had increasing nutrient concentration trends;
- six affected basins within the southern Victorian section of the South-East Coast Drainage Division showed increasing nutrient concentration trends, and three basins showed decreasing nutrient concentration trends; and
- one basin in the North-East Coast Drainage Division (Tweed) also showed a clear increasing nutrient concentration trend.
Source: National Land and Water Resources Audit 2001, Australian Water Resources Assessment 2000, Land and Water Australia, Canberra, viewed 13 Apr 2005, http://audit.ea.gov.au/ANRA/water/docs/national/Water_Use.html.
What the data mean
Nutrients are a major water quality issue in about 60% of the assessed basins.
Data Limitations
NLWRA data have not been updated since its report was published in 2001.
Issues for which this is an indicator and why
Inland Waters - Habitat scale influences - Water Quality (for surface and groundwater) - Nutrients
Nitrogen and phosphorus levels can limit the availability of water resources and the indicator provides information that will help managers meet current and future needs. Eutrophication and toxic algal blooms can make surface water unsuitable for drinking or recreational purposes and can impact on ecosystems. The measure of total nitrogen and total phosphorus gives an estimate of eutrophication potential and high concentrations in surface waters are linked to algal blooms. Number of exceedences of water quality triggers for total nitrogen and total phosphorus is a direct measure of this pressure.
Other indicators for this issue:
- IW-14 Volume of sewage discharge to surface waters by treatment category (primary, secondary, tertiary)
- CO-46 Comparative water quality of coastal lakes and lagoons (water quality gradient from north to south)
Inland Waters - Habitat scale influences - Water Quality (for surface and groundwater) - Sediment and turbidity
Changes in nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, through erosion and surface runoff, can impact on water quality. Sediments can transport nutrients. Number of exceedences of water quality triggers for suspended solids is an indirect measure of this pressure.
Other indicators for this issue:
- IW-12 Catchment nitrogen and phosphorus load
- IW-13 Catchment sediment load
- IW-17 Exceedance of turbidity water quality triggers
- IW-18 Exceedance of suspended solids water quality triggers
- IW-24 Extent of sedimentation (incl sand slugs)
- LD-04 Area and change in area of exposed soil surface contributing to erosion
- HS-61 Water quality in human settlements
Biodiversity - Pressures on biodiversity - Pressures on marine biodiversity: pressures of coastal activities
In addition to placing pressure on freshwater biodiversity, nitrogen and phosphorus loads reaching the coasts, place pressure on coastal and marine biodiversity.
Other indicators for this issue:
- CO-27 Number, frequency, extent and volume of oil spills from all sources
- CO-28 Quantity of discharges of different substances from humans activities to coastal and marine waters
- CO-29 Change in area of coastal potential acid sulphate soils under development for human use
- CO-30 Length and area of coastal and estuarine foreshore altered for human purposes
- CO-32 Number of injuries to marine animals from marine debris
- CO-44 Marine chlorophyll concentration
- CO-46 Comparative water quality of coastal lakes and lagoons (water quality gradient from north to south)
- CO-53 Evidence or examples of noise or visual disturbance of marine species by human activities
- CO-60 Sea salinity
- CO-65 Correlation between various human activities and introduction of coastal and marine species
- IW-12 Catchment nitrogen and phosphorus load
- HS-05 Total population and distribution
Coasts and Oceans - Direct pressure of human activities on coasts and oceans - Direct pressure of coastal activities (other than shipping and fishing)
Agricultural land use disturbs soils and can change loads of nitrogen and phosphorus entering inland waters and ending up in coastal waters where in can place pressure aquatic and estuarine species as well as on other coastal species that rely on the water source. Quantities of nitrogen and phosphorus concentrating in surface water catchments are a direct measure of this pressure.
Other indicators for this issue:
- CO-27 Number, frequency, extent and volume of oil spills from all sources
- CO-28 Quantity of discharges of different substances from humans activities to coastal and marine waters
- CO-29 Change in area of coastal potential acid sulphate soils under development for human use
- CO-30 Length and area of coastal and estuarine foreshore altered for human purposes
- CO-32 Number of injuries to marine animals from marine debris
- CO-44 Marine chlorophyll concentration
- CO-46 Comparative water quality of coastal lakes and lagoons (water quality gradient from north to south)
- CO-53 Evidence or examples of noise or visual disturbance of marine species by human activities
- CO-60 Sea salinity
- CO-65 Correlation between various human activities and introduction of coastal and marine species
- IW-12 Catchment nitrogen and phosphorus load
- HS-05 Total population and distribution
- LD-40 Current research into pressures and contributions of naturalised introduced species
- BD-09 The change in extent of selected nationally significant invasive species
- BD-10 Examples of native species whose populations have declined where various invasive species have established resident populations
Human Settlements - Liveability of human settlements - Water quality
Water quality can be diminished through increased nitrogen and phosphorus loads. Number of exceedences of water quality triggers for nitrogen and phosphorus is a direct measure of this pressure on both human and environmental water supply.
Other indicators for this issue:
- HS-61 Water quality in human settlements
- IW-17 Exceedance of turbidity water quality triggers
- IW-18 Exceedance of suspended solids water quality triggers
- IW-22 Exceedance of biological and chemical water quality triggers
Further Information
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