Stormwater draining from an industrial business park in Melbourne’s east is currently managed through a Bioretention System. An earlier investigation indicated that the current design of the system is inadequate to efficiently filter stormwater from the industrial catchment. To improve the water quality reaching the local creek, a feasibility study to replace the current system with a sediment pond and constructed wetland system is underway. Pollution profiling of stormwater from industrial catchment will inform council on wetland design and the feasibility of implementing stormwater education programs to improve on-ground outcomes.
The aim of this project is to undertake a pollution risk assessment of stormwater originating from the local Business Park. The pollution profiling program will assess heavy metals and hydrocarbons in the stormwater from 7 locations within the industrial catchment over a five week period (Figure 1). Pollution profiles generated through the monitoring program will inform council on the levels of contaminants being discharged from the industrial catchment and where the major sources are located. This information will be used to further inform education and enforcement programs to reduce stormwater pollution from the catchment.
Expected outcomes
- Better understanding of what pollutants are likely to impact the proposed
wetland system. - Identification of major pollution sources within the catchment to prioritise
education and enforcement programs. - Better protection of wetland assets from contamination
- Inform stormwater management strategies
This project is in progress, with pollution profiling of stormwater to be completed by October 2019
