Academic knowledge on sensors

Identified hotspots at the industrial sites around Merlynston Creek

As observed in the Waterways Investment Prioritisation Merri Creek Catchment Pilot Study

Prioritising solution implementation schemes that are appropriate in terms of applied technical solution, the level of control and the benefits realised for the customers and the environment.

Aligning with stakeholders investment to achieve the agreed outcomes.

Encompasses risk assessment and mitigation within an adaptive framework that allows continual improvement over the agreed planning horizon.

Tactical stormwater to sewer diversion, stormwater treatment tanks, gross pollutant traps (stormwater and wastewater overflows)

Can reach out to Claire Fenby about having this project be run by the community and source funding. May be more effective that way. Also can chat to MCMC about their participation?

Results:

• Drain outfalls (downstream) has highest levels of contamination
• Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon is a major concern. Pulse Pollution events detected on-site likely from top of catchment.

Learnings from EPA Trialing projects: The mobility of the real-time sensor hubs trialled in parallel to this project would allow EPA to locate the source of the pollution impacting Merlynston Creek.

What:

• Analysis was done by flow system with a limit of detection (LOD)
• Quality control
• Measurement uncertainty
• Conversion of values to give estimate of pollutant concentrations over large temporal scales when compared to grab sampling techniques.
  Final concentrations reported as ammonia-N

Where: Fabrication and analysis of ammonia passive samplers was completed at the University of Melbourne, School of Chemistry

How: The pollution risk ratings are based on summary statistics derived from stormwater pollutant concentrations detected in the StormScout Samplers over a 12-year period.

How: All chemical analysis performed by National Association of Testing Laboratories Australia (NATA). Contaminant concentrations converted into a simple colour-coded pollution risk rating. The site risk score was determined by average pollutant concentrations across the 5 weeks of sampling.

What: After each sampling event, media from the sampler was collected, processed, and analysed for common persistent contaminants

Where: Sensors deployed at 7 locations in the Merlynston Creek catchment

What/How: Data streamed via the 4G network every 15 minutes to a data visualisation dashboard. Monitors for Ammonia, pH, copper + other metals. Water collected periodically for spot-checking. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and water level monitored in real time across the catchment.

Passive Samplers Recommendations: Incorporating ammonium passive samplers as part of future studies is recommended. Additional samplers deployed at multiple sites within catchments allows for a quick and approach for isolating and sourcing contamination.

Victoria University are wanting to partner to provide funding for a Masters Student on a future project.

Understand health and safety risks of Merri Creek and other tributaries (e.g Merlynston Creek)

Understanding potential impact on wetland assets (existing and planned)

Contact Dave from Monash Uni who worked on this project and recommissioned the toxicant treatment facility

is it possible to put in an application with them given that Merri Creek intersect through their city and they also have interest in the Merri Creek?

Can support research with providing resources. They have previously worked with RMIT for research into sensor technology for industrial pollution.

This project was managed by the Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaptation Research (CESAR), a collaborative research centre that combined expertise from across La Trobe University, Monash University, and the University of Melbourne

The Merri Creek waterways and Healthy Waterways Strategy

(https://www.starwater.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/water_treatment.pdf)

Merri Creek becomes a perenial stream in this section

Aquifer Storage and Recovery techniques for water storage

This project aims to:

• Undertake an international literature review to identify what toxicants typically accumulate in stormwater wetlands and how they affect wetland performance and management
• Conduct surveys in stormwater wetlands across Melbourne to determine what toxicants are present in local stormwater wetlands and where they are accumulating through the treatment process
• Review traditional and emerging methods for monitoring wetland ‘ecological health’ and develop simple, cost-effective monitoring tools to determine the effects of toxicants on wetland performance
  
  

This is a collaboration with Melbourne Waterway Research-Practice Partnership (MWRPP) Project B2.

Metals (Zn, Cu, Ni and Pb), TPH, synthetic pyrethroid pesticide were commonly present in inlet sedimentation ponds.

No correlation between toxicant concentration and wetland age

It is located at Barry Rd, Campbellfield, Melbourne,
Victoria. Stormwater first passes through a Gross Pollutant
Trap and then to a flow splitter where it is discharged into three
1m3 treatment tanks constructed in parallel to enable direct
comparative performance of three filtration media. When
inflow volumes exceed the capacity of the TTF, water flows
over the diverter into the main drain and directly into the creek.

Regulation and enforcement, behaviour change program, online treatment

Merri Creek and Environs Strategy Chapter 3.2 - Water Quality and Stream Health

https://www.merri-bek.vic.gov.au/globalassets/website-merri-bek/areas/living-merri-bek/environment/water/integrated-water-management-strategy-2040---2020-2025-action-plan.pdf

Outcome 1.13 Develop a plan for utilising and target water quality monitoring, such as Merri Creek Management Committee (MCMC) Waterwatch2, to give us a better understanding of changes and impacts

https://www.merri-bek.vic.gov.au/globalassets/website-merri-bek/areas/living-merri-bek/environment/water/integrated-water-management-strategy-2040-1.pdf

• Recognition of the need for a comprehensive understanding and allowance for resourcing for ongoing maintenance of existing and new large WSUD assets. Response: Ensure enough trained resources and funding has been allocated for maintenance of WSUD assets.

https://conversations.merri-bek.vic.gov.au/moomba-park-wetland

Construction underway (construction excpected to be complete by May 2023)

education - tools trainings, info capacity building targets to SME industrial

Behaviour Change - site inspections, evaluations to each business, continued over time to maintain change

Gully baskets, litter traps at the end of the industrial estate to remove gross pollutants from entering the receiving waterway.

Stormwater runoff of dry weather flows and first flush in a storm event treated through filtered material which capture pollutants – build in the design of the industrial estate. Send these flows to sewer.