Water Quality Programs
We take the lead in managing water quality for our rivers and creeks within the Port Phillip and Westernport region.
We aim for environmental best practice management in our:
- Projects
- Capacity building of community and stakeholders
- Plans to minimise impacts of stormwater.
Our integrated approach improves water quality in our rivers, creeks and bays.
- An integrated approach
- Building capacity with businesses and councils
- Stormwater management plans
- Water quality treatment systems
- Improving the region’s water quality
- Tackling stormwater in the lower Yarra
An integrated approach
Best practice in the environmental management of stormwater run-off requires an integrated approach involving:
- Use of legal planning controls over development and use of land
- Regulation of land uses (e.g. building sites and industry) through state and local laws
- Operational programs (e.g. enforcement of regulations, street cleaning)
- Management of infrastructure, maintenance and construction activities (e.g. roads)
- Infrastructure designed to capture or treat polluted run-off (e.g. litter traps)
- Awareness and education.
Building capacity with businesses and councils
We have an important role to play in building the capacity of business and councils so that we all deliver best practice stormwater management.
We helped initiate and are a key supporter of Clearwater – a capacity-building program for industry and councils. We will continue to contribute knowledge, experience and resources to support this important program.
Clearwater develops and implements education and training for people in industry, councils and Victorian Government agencies. It is also an information exchange.
We are currently managing the Water Sensitive Urban Design component of the Clearwater program. 'Water Sensitive Urban Design: Engineering Processes for Stormwater Management' is a technical manual developed through this involvement. The manual provides standards for the design, construction and maintenance of water sensitive design technologies. We also support a wide range of research to improve our knowledge and understanding of urban water systems.
Rural landowners involved with our Stream Frontage Management Program are also offered educational opportunities through the Clearwater program. Training in best-practice ‘whole of property’ and waterway management allows landowners to assess and manage their impacts on river health, including water quality.
More information:
Stormwater management plans
Stormwater quality is managed through a memorandum of understanding between:
- EPA Victoria
- Municipal Association of Victoria
- Melbourne Water.
The responsibilities and costs for stormwater quality management are shared between Melbourne Water and councils through this agreement.
We help councils prepare and implement Stormwater Management Plans, and have assigned $10 million over four years (2005/06 to 2008/09) to help put these plans in place. The plans identify actions for the council and for Melbourne Water, and other initiatives that could improve the quality of run-off entering rivers and creeks or affecting beaches.
All councils within our waterways and drainage boundary have successfully completed these plans. We are now:
- Working with councils on our actions from these plans
- Encouraging and helping councils to implement their actions
- Exploring other joint projects.
Councils have identified risk issues such as leaks from septic tanks through their plans. Strategies to manage domestic wastewater have been trialled in an attempt to reduce pollution from septic tanks.
In our new extended boundary areas, we will undertake an assessment of council Stormwater Management Plans and identify their priority actions. We will then look at ways of building this information into our program of managing stormwater run-off.
Water quality treatment systems
Litter traps, sedimentation ponds and constructed wetlands are examples of water quality treatment systems, reducing pollutants in run-off. The priority issue of nitrogen inputs to Port Phillip Bay is addressed by much of the funds allocated to these systems over the next 10 years.
Water sensitive urban design, financed by developers, incorporates these features in new developments. In older areas that have already developed, we put systems in place through our capital works program. We also support councils to implement water sensitive urban design.
Improving the region’s water quality
We are developing a water quality improvement plan together with a range of agencies and government departments. The plan brings together all water quality issues for Port Phillip Bay, Western Port and the rivers and creeks of the region.
The plan identifies:
- Key water quality risks to values of Port Phillip and Western Port and the region’s rivers and creeks
- Directions for investment in water quality improvement programs.
A number of projects that will support the plan are also included. For example:
- Development of a tool to model water quality and to assess possible solutions
- Investigation into institutionalising water sensitive urban design
- Recommendations on agricultural best management practices
- Investigation into the recreational use of beaches to target our monitoring and investigations
- Review and improvement of our water quality loads monitoring program
- Investigation into the use of ‘offsets’ to reduce discharges into our rivers, creeks and bays.
Tackling stormwater in the lower Yarra
The Lower Yarra is under stress because of population growth and urban development, and the behaviour and activities of people living around the river.
The Yarra River Action Plan (PDF 3.7mb) identified key projects to improve water quality in the Yarra catchment.
Water quality in the Lower Yarra is poor due to:
- Urban stormwater
- Litter
- Faecal contamination.
A three-year multi-million dollar Stormwater Quality Action Plan has been started to improve water quality in the Lower Yarra and provide leadership in stormwater management. Activities will involve:
- Trialling toxicant traps
- Implementing council Stormwater Management Plans
- Initiating water sensitive urban design projects to treat stormwater run-off
- Building stormwater management skills and knowledge for councils and industry.
Downloads
You will need Adobe Acrobat to access the above PDF documents. 