Melbourne Water
Social and Environment Data
2005 / 2006

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Water quality - parameters and reporting levels

Parameter Guideline Basis Units Reporting Level
Microbiological – routine
E. coli ADWG 2004 organisms/100mL 1
Physical – routine
Colour ADWG 2004 True colour units (HU) 15
Turbidity ADWG 2004 Nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) 5
pH ADWG 2004 pH units 6.5 to 8.5
Chemical – routine
Aluminium ADWG 2004 milligrams/litre - mg/L 0.2
Iron ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.3
Manganese ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.1
Fluoride Health Act mg/L 0.7 - 1.2
Chemical – routine less frequent
Arsenic ADWG 2004 milligrams/litre - mg/L 0.007
Cadmium ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.002
Chromium ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.05
Copper ADWG 2004 mg/L 1
Cyanide ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.08
Lead ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.01
Mercury ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.001
Selenium ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.01
Zinc ADWG 2004 mg/L 3
Chloride ADWG 2004 mg/L 250
Hardness ADWG 2004 mg/L 200
Nitrate (as N) ADWG 2004 mg/L 50
Sodium ADWG 2004 mg/L 180
Sulphate ADWG 2004 mg/L 250
Total alkalinity * mg/L *
Calcium * mg/L *
Magnesium * mg/L *
Silica * mg/L *
Total organic carbon * mg/L *
Total phosphorus * mg/L *
Total solids ADWG 2004 mg/L 500
Radiological
Radioactivity – alpha ADWG 2004 Becquerel/litre 0.1
Radioactivity – beta ADWG 2004 Becquerel/litre 0.1
Pesticides
Aldrin ADWG 2004 milligrams/litre - mg/L 0.0003
Dieldrin ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.0003
Chlordane ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.001
DDT ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.02
Heptachlor ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.0003
Heptachlor epoxide ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.0003
Lindane ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.02
2,4-D ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.03
Industrial chemicals
Carbon tetrachloride ADWG 2004 milligrams/litre - mg/L 0.003
Tetra chloroethene ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.05
1,1 Dichloroethene ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.03
1,2-Dichloroethene ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.06
1,2-Dichloroethane ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.003
Benzene ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.001
Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s)
Benzo-a-pyrene ADWG 2004 milligrams/litre - mg/L 0.00001
Byproducts of disinfection
Pentachlorophenol * milligrams/litre - mg/L 0.002
2,4,6-Trichlorophenol ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.02
Trihalomethanes (THM’s) Total
ADWG 2004 milligrams/litre - mg/L 0.25
Chloroacetic acids No limit set
Chloroacetic acid ADWG 2004 milligrams/litre - mg/L 0.15
Dichloroacetic acid ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.1
Trichloroacetic acid ADWG 2004 mg/L 0.1

*Items marked with an asterisk have not had a reporting level set but are monitored for operational purposes.

Notes:

Click on the links below for information on Melbourne Water’s: