Snowy River
Indicator: Discharge to Waters
Results for this indicator are also available for [an error occurred while processing this directive]
Please note: Text or data highlighted in this colour represent an update to this indicator for the period 2008/09.
What the results tell us for Snowy River
Snowy River Shire Council's sewage from Adaminaby, Berridale and Jindabyne is treated at sewage treatment plants in the three towns. Effluent generated in rural areas is treated in on-site systems. Septic tanks and composting toilets are commonly used across the rural areas.
The NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) regulates most sewage treatment systems owned by state and local government. DECC has issued the following licenses relating to discharges to water in the Snowy River:
- Adaminaby Sewage Treatment Works is licensed to discharge from the maturation pond into Locker Creek, with a maximum daily volume of 400 KL/day.
- Berridale Sewage Treatment Works is licensed to discharge from the maturation pond into Myack Creek at a maximum daily discharge of 250 KL/day.
- Jindabyne Sewage Treatment Works is licensed to discharge from the overflow structure from Pond 6 to Cobbin Creek. The maximum daily volume for this plant is 2000 KL/day.
DECC also licences a number of privately owned sewage treatment plants, such as Perisher Blue, Thredbo and other resorts in the Kosciuszko National Park. These plants are also operating under licences to discharge into local creeks.
The discharge volume and mass load of nitrogen and phosphorous from the Jindabyne sewage treatment plant, released to Cobbin Creek, increased over the reporting period. This was due to an increased number of dwellings in the Cobbin Estate. (Table 1).
| Licensed/ unlicensed |
Volume (ML/year) | Type | Estimated volume discharged illegally (L/year) | Estimated volume discharged accidentally (L/year) | Receiving waters | Mass load of nitrogen (kg) | Mass load of phosphorus (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | |||||||
| Licensed | 230 | Sewage | Unknown | Nil | Cobbin Creek | 1076 | 11 |
| Licensed | 22 | Sewage | Unknown | Nil | Locker Creek | 3.29 | 0.34 |
| Licensed | 134 | Sewage | Unknown | Nil | Myack Creek | 10.22 | 4.3 |
| 2005–06 | |||||||
| Licensed | 182.99 | Sewage | Unknown | Nil | Cobbin Creek | 1372 | 46.5 |
| Licensed | Not Measured | Sewage | Unknown | Nil | Locker Creek | 8.78 | 0.34 |
| Licensed | Sewage | Unknown | Nil | Myack Creek | 11.98 | 3.6 | |
| 2006–07 | |||||||
| Licensed | 193.45 | Sewage | Unknown | Nil | Cobbin Creek | 2464 | 17.4 |
| Licensed | 54.02 | Sewage | Unknown | Nil | Locker Creek | 2.99 | 1.86 |
| Licensed | 144.58 | Sewage | Unknown | Nil | Myack Creek | 7.48 | 6.8 |
| Unlicensed | Unknown | Sediment | Nil | Unknown | Snowy River | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2007–08 | |||||||
| Licensed | 417.2 | Sewage | Unknown | Nil | Cobbin Creek | 5609 | 24.6 |
Licensed |
Not recorded |
Sewage |
Unknown |
Nil |
Locker Creek |
4.85 |
5.36 |
Licensed |
Not recorded |
Sewage |
Unknown |
Nil |
Wullwye Creek |
34.1 |
10.6 |
| 2008-09 | |||||||
| Licensed | 464.6 | Sewage | Unknown | Nil | Cobbin Creek | 5041 | 104.7 |
Source: Snowy River Shire Council
In 2004-05 the Adaminaby sewage treatment plant concentration limits of suspended solids and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) were each exceeded on six occasions. It is also reported that the suspended solids limits were exceeded on two occasions, and the BOD concentration limits were exceeded once in 2005-06. The 2006-07 and 2007-08 figures are not available at the time of reporting. Discharges to Locker Creek and Wullwye Creek for 2008-09 were not available at time of reporting.
The PLC (Programable Logic Controller) at the Jindabyne Sewerage Treatment Plant was offline for approximately 6 months of 2008-09. This affected the monitoring of the flows as well as the chemical dosing. The Ferrous chloride used for phosphorous removal is controlled by the PLC and was offline during the time when the PLC was being repaired. This resulted in a high level of phosphorous in the discharge.
The Berridale Sewage Treatment Plant exceeded the daily limit of 250 KL/day on 365 occasions in 2004-05. The plant also exceeded the BOD and total suspended solids concentration limits on seven occasions during this year because of an algal bloom. In 2005-06 the volumetric limit was only exceeded on one occasion, with the BOD limit exceeded six times and the total suspended solids limit exceeded twice. No figures were available for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 financial years.
The Jindabyne Sewage Treatment Plant exceeded the load limit for total nitrogen, total phosphorus and total suspended solids on three occasions in 2004-05, as well as the concentrations of total nitrogen and pH on seven occasions. The daily maximum volume of 2000 KL/day was exceeded on 14 occasions. In 2005-06, the concentration limits for ammonia was exceeded twice, the pH seven times, the total phosphorus twice and the total suspended solids three times.
In 2006-07, discharge from the Jindabyne Sewage Treatment Plant was not monitored for 50 days due to the meter being under repair. A faecal and pH problem also occurred during the year due to bird populations in the ponds, causing the faecal matter to exceed its limit twice and pH to exceed its limit six times. The total nitrogen also exceeded its limit on four occasions due to sludge pump problems.
There was also a discharge of sediment into the Snowy River in August 2006 from works at Jindabyne Dam. The discharged volumes are unknown.
About the data
Information was supplied by Snowy River Shire Council. Additional information was obtained from the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change’s public register of environment protection licences.
References
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW (2008), Public Register for Licences, Applications or Notices, Environment Protect Licence, Section 55 Protection of the Environment Operations Act, viewed at http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/prpoeoapp/searchregister.aspx on 29 September 2008.
