Water quality profile of an urbanising catchment

Contamination of waterways a critical issue, especially in areas undergoing rapid urban development. The Ningi Creek catchment in Caboolture Shire, Queensland State, Australia is a prime example of such an area. A recent study had revealed a serious faecal pollution problem. The catchment area of Ningi Creek contains a number of landuses, including forestry, farming, aquaculture, rural-residential and residential developments serviced by onsite wastewater treatment systems. Any of these can cause contamination of the ground and surface water, particularly during rainfall events. The main focus of the research project was to: • develop a water quality profile along the Creek including the assessment of faecal coliform levels and cynobacteria 'trigger parameters' to enable the identification of landuses and regions that contributes to pollutant loads; and • identify 'hot spots' for faecal coliforms and cynobacteria 'trigger parameters' and the corresponding contaminant sources. Essentially, it was intended that the knowledge generated through this project will contribute to the development of a Waterway Management Plan for the Catchment. The summary of outcomes from the study included: • The development of a water quality profile to enable an overall evaluation of the catchment and the different landuses that contribute to the pollutant loading; • The identification of the various sources of faecal contamination in order to allow appropriate management strategies to be implemented to minimise faecal bacterial loading; and, • The identification of the sources of trigger parameters which cause and sustain cynobacteria blooms in Ningi Creek.