IMPACTS OF SEWAGE OVERFLOWS ON AN URBAN CREEK

摘要

The Coastal CRC has been working with Brisbane City Council to determine the impacts of sewage overflows and risks to public and ecosystem health in a pilot study of the tidal waterways of the coastal suburb of Lota. The research shows in a large wet weather event, stormwater and not the overflow was the dominant stressor of ecological health. Even in a dry weather overflow event impacts were low and restricted to the mixing zone at the point of overflow. However, sewage overflows, both in dry and wet weather, did pose an unacceptably high public health hazard to possible swimmers in Lota Creek until the overflow stopped and there was a complete tidal exchange with the estuary. Despite being an intensive study of a single wet weather event there is sufficient data for it to be translated to similar tidal environments, and has provided a sound scientific basis for quantifying overflow impacts and prioritising management of overflows and stormwater.