Catchment Management Protecting Sydney’s Water Supply

Why Catchment Management? Healthy Catchments, Quality Water Looking after the land is a proactive approach to providing healthy water Catchment management identifies and rectifies the adverse impact of pollution sources on water quality

Special Areas What are they? Land surrounding water storages Why do we need them? To protect water quality

How do we manage and protect the Catchment? Identify activities that have a high negative impact (priority pollutants) Develop priorities for improvement Influence land use planning Implement control measures and treatments Monitor and Review

Issues in the Catchments Sewage Pesticides, fertiliser and manure from farm land Industry run off, heavy metals or chemicals Damage to natural vegetation by humans and animals – reducing the land’s ability to filter

Issues in the Catchments Contamination of used and disused mining sites Accidental fuel and/or chemical spills Feral animals and introduced species Uncontrolled fires

Healthy Catchments Program Strategies for Sewage Riparian Stormwater Rural lands SCA Managed lands Compliance Catchment Information

Healthy Catchment Program Sewage Strategy Why is sewage management important? Catchment includes 11 major sewage treatment plants – EPA licensed Ageing sewers and pump stations 18,500 (estimated) onsite systems Medium scale unlicensed systems

Healthy Catchment Program Sewage Strategy Accelerated Sewerage Scheme Onsite sewage system management Sewerage reticulation system management Unlicensed sewage treatment systems

Healthy Catchment Program Riparian Strategy Healthy vegetated riparian zones reduce nutrients entering storages Collaboration with stakeholders to implement on- ground works

Healthy Catchments Program Example of riparian strategy at work Coxs River Catchment

Riparian Strategy at Work – Coxs River Catchment Why did it happen? Riparian zones were choked with willows and noxious weeds Streambanks were eroding causing water quality impact What happened? Focused on river downstream of Duddawarra Bridge 20 km treated, removed willows and woody weeds What did it achieve? Water quality improved Stakeholders supportive Community are approaching SCA for support for further works

Riparian Strategy at Work – Coxs River Catchment Before treatment - Coxs River downstream of Duddawarra Bridge

Riparian Strategy at Work – Coxs River Catchment After treatment – Coxs River downstream of Duddawarra Bridge

Healthy Catchments Program Rural Lands Strategy Aims Promote sustainable land use Identify, prioritise and rectify activities that have a negative impact on water quality Rural Land programs New erosion rectification plans Derelict mines program Geographic Information System (GIS) data, land use and active areas of stream bank and gully erosion

Rural Lands Strategy at Work – Dairy Effluent Project Dairy farms within the Sydney Drinking Water Catchment were identified as a point source of pollution under the Pollution Source Risk Management Plan Issues Threat to water quality Dairy shed waste management Poorly constructed cattle laneways, primarily crossing water courses Lack of regulatory control for farmers to follow Best Practice Guidelines

Rural Lands Strategy at Work – Dairy Effluent Project Dairy waste after one milking

Rural Lands Strategy at Work – Dairy Effluent Project Dairy waste entering waterways

Rural Lands Strategy at Work– Dairy Effluent Project Project Stages 1.Model dairy developed to workshop best practice 2.On farm visits, consultation with landowners 3.Project Funding Agreement signed by dairy farmer and SCA 4.Construction of holding/capture sites for dairy waste 5.Ongoing monitoring, inspection and liaison by SCA 6.Follow up visits to farm to continue liaison and assess operational procedures with farmers

Rural Lands Strategy at Work – Dairy Effluent Project Before work – runoff not contained After work – dairy waste runoff captured onsite

Photography Copyright The photographs in this presentation are reproduced with the kind permission of the copyright owner: Sydney Catchment Authority.