Using water quality and infauna data to understand the environmental impacts of wastewater discharge Peter Crockett and Scott Chidgey

A tale of two outfalls Altona STP Murray Goulburn Co-op

Distance (≈ Exposure -1 ) Response Dose-Response

Water Quality

Infauna

Altona Outfall Total phosphorus concentrations as proportion of background median Median background 2.5 X background 5 X background 10 X background 20 X background >20 X background June 2006 Background median TP: 0.14 mg/L April 2008 Background median TP: 0.09 mg/L March 2010 Background median TP: 0.10 mg/L March 2011 Background median TP: 0.18 mg/L

Altona Outfall Abundance by infauna family, Capitellidae Galeommatidae

Altona Outfall Infauna abundance,

Altona Outfall Abundance of Capitellidae,

October 2010 Background median TP: mg/L August 2012 Background median TP: mg/L December 2013 Background median TP: mg/L March 2015 Background median TP: mg/L Venus Bay Outfall Total phosphorus concentrations as proportion of background median 2 X background 5 X background 10 X background Median background 1.5 X background >10 X background

Venus Bay Outfall Abundance by infauna family, Trochidae (Bankivia sp.) Cirolanidae

Venus Bay Outfall Infauna abundance,

Venus Bay Outfall Infauna abundance,

Venus Bay Outfall Infauna abundance,

Venus Bay Outfall Ophiuroid abundance,

Thanks to City West Water South Gippsland Water Murray Goulburn Co-operative Infauna Data (Lynda Avery)