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INTEGRATED WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM - BURGESS CREEK (REFERRED FROM PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING DATED 11 JULY 2023 - ITEM 5.8)

Environment Officer (Rivers and Coast), Sophie Blond · Environmental Services Department

Executive summary

This report provides a summary of actions that Noosa Council has taken to address two Notified Motions from June and December 2022 from Cr Lorentson regarding the Noosa Wastewater Treatment Plant (STP) which include: 1. The formation of a Burgess Creek Working Group to develop a Burgess Creek Integrated Catchment Management Plan Project Initiation Document (PID). 2. Establishment of an interagency working group and Confidentiality Deed with Unitywater to share information and data about Burgess Creek and catchment. 3. A University of Sunshine Coast (UniSC) and Noosa Council partnership project to investigate erosion and flow at Burgess Creek. It also addresses a Council Resolution for the development of a citizen science program focusing on monitoring of run-off as part of Council’s Integrated Water Quality Monitoring Program. This report closes off both of the above Notice of Motions, except for water discharge volumes in the Burgess Creek Catchment which would require further investigation.

Recommendation

That Council note the report by the Environment Officer – Rivers & Coast to the Planning & Environment Committee Meeting dated 11 July 2023 and:

  1. Note staff will continue liaising with Unitywater regarding the Burgess Creek STP data and aspects of Burgess Creek management;
  2. Continue scoping and development of a Burgess Creek Integrated Catchment Management Plan in partnership with Unitywater; and
  3. Note the continued development of Council’s Integrated Water Quality Monitoring Program including potential expansion to include additional monitoring sites and
  4. That this report responds to previous Council Notice of Motions.

Report

Scoping and Development of an Integrated Catchment Management Plan An internal working group of staff within Noosa Council’s Environment Services, Climate Change, and Environmental Health branches, and Infrastructure Division was established in June 2022 to better understand and monitor the Burgess Creek Catchment. This has included ongoing engagement with Unitywater, Natural Resource Management (NRM) groups, community Bushland Care groups, and the University of the Sunshine Coast. The Burgess Creek Catchment is impacted by contaminant sources other than the Unitywater STP,

as seen in Figure 1 below. These include, but are not limited to, decommissioned landfills and rapid infiltration basins, night soil disposal areas, residential run-off, run-off from a golf course, stormwater drainage and run-off from sporting fields.

Figure 1. Potential sources of impact on the Burgess Creek Catchment (Unitywater, 2023) In September 2022 the internal working group began scoping the development of a Burgess Creek Integrated Catchment Management Plan and developed a project initiation document (PID) to better understand the broader catchment. The PID was submitted as part of the 23/24 budget planning process. The PID outlines the scope for developing and Integrated Catchment Management Plan for the Burgess Creek Catchment. An Integrated Catchment Management Plan would link three main data components (strategic stormwater management plan, water quality sampling, and a review of environmental factors): • The stormwater discharge component will review catchment land use, infrastructure, discharges, stream flow management, hydrogeology and water quantity. • The water quality sampling component will assess the impact of point and diffuse sources of contaminants across the catchment. • The review of environmental factors will evaluate the impact of the surrounding urban development on the natural environment and the potential effect on public health.

Unitywater data request and subsequent meetings An environmental authority (EA) is needed by a business to undertake an 'environmentally relevant activity’ (ERA) under the Environmental Protection Act 1994. An ERA is an industrial, resource or intensive agricultural activity with the potential to release contaminants into the environment. Unitywater’s Burgess Creek STP is subject to an EA under the Act, regulated by the Department of Environment and Science (DES). ERAs must comply with a set of conditions specific to their site which are set out in their EA to be able to operate and release treated wastewater. As part of their EA, Unitywater has a Receiving Environmental Monitoring Program (REMP). The purpose of the REMP is to monitor the effects of the release of contaminants (treated wastewater) on the receiving water environment i.e. Burgess Creek. The REMP for the Noosa STP must include but is not limited to: 1. A description of the potentially affected environment including key communities and ambient water quality. 2. A description of water quality objectives and biological objectives to be achieved. 3. A description of selected physio-chemical and biological indicators and reasons for their inclusion. 4. The locations of monitoring stations including monitoring transects away from the outfall of the approved release as well as any control locations. 5. The proposed sampling depths. 6. The water quality characteristics of receiving waters to be determined. 7. The frequency of sampling and analysis. 8. Any historical data sets to be relied upon. 9. A description of the statistical basis on which conclusions are drawn. The REMP includes water quality monitoring at seven sample sites in the Burgess Creek Catchment on a monthly schedule for laboratory analysis including e.coli, enterococci, total suspended solids, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, nitrate + nitrite (NOx), phosphate as p, ammonia, and chlorophyll-

  1. In situ water quality monitoring using a water quality meter is also carried out for turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and electrical conductivity. Unitywater is compliant with all required water quality characteristic limits set by DES for releasing treated wastewater including those for faecal coliforms, intestinal enterococci, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and turbidity, which are tested weekly (except for turbidity which is continuously monitored). In October 2022 Unitywater established an interagency group to meet monthly on water quality and catchment management matters. A request was sent via Council’s CEO to access Unitywater’s REMP data. Unitywater agreed to the request providing a Confidentiality Agreement was established in a meeting held 9 December 2022. The Confidentiality Deed was created by Unitywater for a period of five years from January 2023-

for the purposes of sharing information on Burgess Creek’s water quality and cooperating on environmental protection matters, and was signed by both parties in January 2023. Under the Deed, Unitywater presented data to Noosa Council officers in the interagency working group on 8 February 2023, and access to the full suite of data was subsequently provided to the Environment Officer – Rivers & Coast who was designated the assigned data controller for Noosa Council. Data is stored in Unitywater’s Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). The data controller is responsible for: • Controlling the data at Noosa Council and reinforcing the Confidentiality Deed, ensuring everyone has read and understood the Deed before accessing data. • Holding a register of those who have requested access and ensuring the Deed has been read and understood. Council and Unitywater have continued to hold regular meetings to discuss matters relevant to both parties. Additionally, Unitywater took Council staff on a tour of the Noosa STP in May 2023 to provide an understanding of the plant’s treatment processes. Council received Unitywater's most recent approved REMP Report in June 2023 (attached to this report). In June 2023, Unitywater presented to Council an overview of Unitywater's REMP Report for the Noosa STP, water quality monitor results, assets and operations, and legislative obligations.

Unitywater comments regarding Notice of Motions Unitywater respects the want for an independent review of the water quality data and have requested to work with Council to develop a scope of work, select the consultancy responsible for the review and be part of the briefing process. Questions raised as part of the motion, including the Environmental Impact Statement requirements, are addressed as part of the Water Matters consultation responses (see below).

Noosa Council water quality monitoring program In October 2022, Council’s Rivers & Coast branch began a limited monthly water quality monitoring program in the Burgess Creek Catchment. This includes sampling at four locations (noting the upstream location is generally dry) in the Catchment, including Unitywater’s outflow (B3), a stormwater drain underneath David Low Way Bridge (B1), downstream from the outflow on the western branch of Burgess Creek (B6) and an upstream location on Eenie Creek Road (B8). The sampling locations replicate four of Unitywater’s sampling locations under its REMP. The sampling suite also replicates that of Unitywater’s REMP and includes laboratory analysis for e.coli, enterococci, total suspended solids, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, nitrate + nitrite, phosphate, ammonia and chlorophyll-a. In situ water quality monitoring using a water quality meter is undertaken for temperature, turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, and electrical conductivity. The sampling program has limited sites and has been operating for a limited time, therefore it is difficult to draw conclusions from the data. However, results show that e.coli and enterococci at Unitywater’s outflow are generally lower than the sites further downstream, which is consistent with Unitywater's REMP data. Sampling results from sampling site B6 downstream from the Unitywater outflow on the western branch reported the highest concentrations of enterococci and e.coli of all sampling sites. These results indicate that other sources of contaminants could be impacting the catchment, as outlined above in figure 1. The water quality component of an Integrated Water Catchment Management Plan would investigate various potential contaminant sources in the catchment to determine their impact on water quality. Council’s Environmental Health branch also conducts a recreation use monitoring program which involves fortnightly sampling from October through to April, and monthly from May to September, using guidelines set by Healthy Waterways and the Human Health Scientific Expert Panel in 2014. As part of this program, samples are taken from the point where Burgess Creek flows into the ocean at Sunrise Beach and analysed for enterococci. While periodic water quality sampling has generally shown bacterial levels to be within the guidelines for secondary recreational water use, as described by the National Health and Medical Research Council, results can be high from time to time, especially after rainfall. Swimming in Burgess Creek with head below water and drinking water from the creek is therefore not recommended due to the location of the waste water treatment plant built on night soil and refuse dumps, which has the propensity to elevate bacterial levels at Burgess Creek, particularly after high rainfall events.

Review of Water Quality Objectives Council has been in communication with DES regarding the review and update of the Noosa River Environmental Values and Water Quality Objectives (WQOs), as defined under the Environmental Protection (Wetland & Biodiversity) Policy 2019. DES reviews the WQOs approximately every 10 years, with the most recent draft objectives made public in June 2022. The updated objectives were developed in consultation with and using historical data from NRM groups, Unitywater and other relevant stakeholders. Key changes include the introduction of high and low flow targets and separate objectives for Burgess Creek. Under the previous guidelines, Burgess Creek did not have its own WQOs, instead Wallum/tannin stained streams guidelines were used. Under Unitywater's EA, they must meet set release limits for parameters such as total nitrogen and total phosphorus, however, they are not obligated under this legislation to meet the water quality objectives for the Burgess Creek Catchment. The changes have resulted in a substantial increase in the guidelines used for Burgess Creek for oxidised nitrogen, and a small increase in total nitrogen concentrations under high flow conditions. Under these objectives compliance is low. Council has requested that Unitywater engage with DES to determine whether the discrepancy between the EA limits and the WQOs is appropriate. Monitoring reports prepared by Noosa’s NRM groups and citizen scientists for the Noosa Shire, Noosa River, Kin Kin Creek and coastal creeks (Castaways, Marcus and Peregian creeks) have provided sub catchment report card ratings by comparing them with the WQOs. Several locations in these reports received an 'F', resulting from exceedances of the WQOs for both dissolved oxygen and turbidity. At the most recent water quality workshop as part of the integrated water quality monitoring program held 15 March 2023, participants discussed concerns that the some of the WQOs were not relevant to certain sites. Council has provided the citizen scientist reports to DES for analysis and met to discuss the updated objectives and development of local WQOs. Noosa & District Landcare raised issues with the appropriateness of the WQOs for three coastal ephemeral creeks (Castaways, Marcus and Peregian creeks) for electrical conductivity, and for dissolved oxygen for several locations in Kin Kin and Wahpunga creeks. DES is now considering minor proposed legislative amendments to the WQOs for these 3 coastal creeks, expected late in 2023.

University of Sunshine Coast Research Project - Coastal Monitoring One of the key findings of Council’s Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan was that coastal monitoring represented a critical component of any adaptive management program. Council is undertaking engineering design incorporating natural stabilisation to manage erosion occurring on the Eastern Beaches, including development of priority ratings for coastal creeks to facilitate active monitoring and maintenance. Burgess Creek’s mouth has been identified by community members as an erosion hotspot. Council is collaborating with UniSC on a one-year research project to investigate Burgess Creek’s channel migration by monitoring water quality, 2D and 3D morphological changes in the creek and development of an empirical model to predict triggers forcing changes in the creek’s water quality and morphology. The project is also monitoring water flow and depth. The creek’s planform change, channel depth and beach/dune volumetric changes will be surveyed using drone photogrammetry and Real-time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) profiles on a ~monthly and/or event-driven basis (e.g. before/after significant swell or rainfall events). Nearshore hydrodynamics (waves and currents) will be modelled using a calibrated Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN) model. An XBeach model will be used to model beach/dune volumetric changes and tested using observed data. The creek’s water surface level is being monitored using a pressure sensor at the mouth (west side of the bridge) based on significant events (e.g. during significant swell >3m significant wave height and/or >10mm rainfall events). The creek’s flow velocity is being continuously monitored (every 30 seconds) using a water flow meter at a fixed site (west side of bridge). Flow data is uploaded daily and will be accessible to Noosa Council via UniSC’s online data account. The channel’s morphology will be surveyed to estimate the creek’s discharge based on monitored flow. Water quality samples are being collected monthly by Council’s Rivers & Coast branch at the same site west of the bridge and three other sites including the outflow site (Wallum Lane – Rotary Way, Noosa STP). A stage/discharge relationship or rating curve will be developed for the creek, and data will be collated and analysed to develop an empirical model that will explain the main triggers and predict thresholds that force the creek’s morphological and water quality changes. The decision support tool based on the empirical model developed from this project will benefit the management of Burgess Creek by determining the thresholds best suited for actions. For example, the tool could be used to determine when is best/necessary to open the creek’s mouth to mitigate dune erosion or when the creek’s water quality could be expected to be a health hazard.

Citizen Science Water Quality Monitoring Program Council’s Rivers & Coast branch has been investigating the feasibility of developing a citizen science water quality monitoring program designed to monitor Burgess Creek, Cooroy/Six Mile Creek catchments and the impact of wastewater discharge and the Seqwater water treatment plant. Noosa Council, Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee (MRCCC), Noosa Integrated Catchment Association (NICA), Noosa & District Landcare (Landcare), Healthy Land & Water (HL&W), The Nature Conservancy and invited State Government representatives have been meeting quarterly since August 2022 to discuss the Integrated Water Quality Monitoring Program and its priorities. A representative from Unitywater also attended the most recent meeting, where Council’s resolution relating to a citizen science water quality STP monitoring program was presented to the group and was discussed at length.

Cooroy STP/Seqwater Treatment Plants Landcare has previously monitored sites in Cooroy/Six Mile Creek locations as part of its historical Waterwatch program, however Noosa Council ceased funding for this several years ago and eventually the program was unable to continue. MRCCC and Unitywater also conduct water quality monitoring in Six Mile Creek, both near the Unitywater Cooroy STP and the Seqwater treatment plant. Concerns were raised as to whether the development of an additional citizen science monitoring program would result in duplication of existing programs, with participants wanting to know what the purpose of a program focusing solely on STP monitoring is and what it would achieve. Concerns were also raised that even though there are many other water quality issues in both the Noosa and Mary River catchments that have not been addressed, one of the main focuses is on STPs, particularly at Burgess Creek, and their effect on water quality, which already receive a high level of resourcing in terms of monitoring and are governed by DES. The monitoring reports prepared by the NRM groups and citizen scientists indicate that there are many other locations and sources of pollutants which require investigation and are equally, if not, more important than STP monitoring. Workshop participants agreed that rather than the development of another citizen science monitoring program centred specifically around STP monitoring, a more appropriate action would be to expand the scope of the Integrated Water Quality Monitoring Program by collating all the monitoring data from stakeholders in these areas to gain a better understanding of available data and gaps. MRCCC prepared an updated Situation Analysis in June 2023 and the group will soon assess and determine the cost and resources required for an expanded number of sites.

Water Matters Council officers as members of the Project Steering Group have been participating in Unitywater’s Water Matters planning process. Water Matters is Unitywater’s total water cycle management plan for Noosa and the Sunshine Coast that commenced in 2020. Public consultation on the plan began in late March 2023, with deliberative community engagement up until the end of May, and release of a final plan expected in late 2023. Council officers attended and presented at the two Burgess Creek Water Matters Community Forums to provide input on both the overarching Water Matters Plan and more specific feedback on issues related to the Noosa Shire in the Burgess Creek Catchment. The plan is considering community, environment and economic perspectives and presents several possible options for the catchment areas. From these, preferred water management options have been recommended. For Burgess Creek, expanded fit-for-purpose recycled water use, riparian regeneration and enhancing management of stormwater run-off quality have been proposed, but stakeholders and the community are also being asked to provide feedback on the importance of other options such as improved erosion and sediment control, education and improving water literacy, existing fit-for- purpose recycled water, and improving water and resource recovery at all wastewater treatment plants. Responses to stakeholder and community questions from the consultative process, including those raised by elected representatives, and community updates are available on Unitywater’s Community Hub at https://communityhub.unitywater.com/water-matters. As a member of the Project Steering Group, Council has provided a letter of feedback on the plan and requested detail on the roles and responsibilities of Unitywater, Council and other stakeholders for each recommended management option.

Report details

Index: Subject / 21.34 - Waterways