CHRISTIES BEACH WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT

In reply to Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (4 July 2007) (Second Session) (Estimates Committee B).

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy): I have been advised that:

1. In the late 1990s the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) negotiated Environment Improvement Programs with the South Australian Water Corporation (SA Water) for the upgrade of all four metropolitan wastewater treatment plants. As part of those programs, the EPA and SA Water agreed to a target of 10mg/L total Nitrogen (median concentration) in the treated effluent. This Nitrogen target was not a discharge standard, but a target to work towards by adopting reasonable and practicable measures.

These improvement programs resulted in the closure of the Port Adelaide plant, the achievement of the target at Bolivar and near achievement of the target at Glenelg.

The target was not achieved at the Christies Beach plant. However, as a major upgrade is proposed, the EPA and SA Water are currently discussing discharge limits, which are likely to be set as conditions of a future licence.

This discussion is likely to be assisted by recommendations of the Adelaide Coastal Waters Study.