❓ A parliamentary question raises concerns about potential sewage contamination from wastewater treatment plants impacting the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park and public health. The Minister's response addresses testing protocols, discharge details, and future plans for the Point Peron plant.
AnsweredQoN 467Legislative Assembly
Asked
11 October 2005
Member
Portfolio
Minister Assisting the Minister for Water Resources
QuestionView source ↗
Given that the high recreational and conservational values of the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park, which is operated by Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM), and the fact that neither the Department of Health nor the Rockingham City Council do offshore water quality testing in the area, will the Minister please advise -
(1) Are there any conditions (prevailing weather or otherwise) that may result in Perth’s largest sewage plume immigrating into the marine park and the waters surrounding Penguin and Seal Islands from the 110 million litres of sewage discharged daily into the waters adjacent to the park from the Woodman Point/Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plants?
(2) If yes to (1) -
(a) what are those conditions?
(b) how often do these events occur?
(c) why is discharge not stopped during these events?
(d) what is the danger to the community, especially children, swimming and snorkelling in the water?
(e) why is the community not alerted to these dangers?
(3) If no to (1), would the Minister be willing for her department to conduct water analysis of a water sample taken from the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park on the grand final long weekend holiday, Monday 26 September 2005, to determine -
(a) what pollutants are present in the water sample?
(b) what were the likely origins of these pollutants?
(c) what were the dangers to the community, especially children, swimming or snorkelling in the water on their long weekend?
(4) Is water quality testing conducted fortnightly by CALM on or near Penguin or Seal Island in the interest of public health considering the islands proximity to sewage outflow and the risks posed to people swimming, snorkelling and diving?
(5) What is the nature and type of discharge from the Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant?
(6) Given Perth’s expanding population and the high conservation and recreational values of the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park does the Minister consider that the Plant should be upgraded?
(1) Are there any conditions (prevailing weather or otherwise) that may result in Perth’s largest sewage plume immigrating into the marine park and the waters surrounding Penguin and Seal Islands from the 110 million litres of sewage discharged daily into the waters adjacent to the park from the Woodman Point/Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plants?
(2) If yes to (1) -
(a) what are those conditions?
(b) how often do these events occur?
(c) why is discharge not stopped during these events?
(d) what is the danger to the community, especially children, swimming and snorkelling in the water?
(e) why is the community not alerted to these dangers?
(3) If no to (1), would the Minister be willing for her department to conduct water analysis of a water sample taken from the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park on the grand final long weekend holiday, Monday 26 September 2005, to determine -
(a) what pollutants are present in the water sample?
(b) what were the likely origins of these pollutants?
(c) what were the dangers to the community, especially children, swimming or snorkelling in the water on their long weekend?
(4) Is water quality testing conducted fortnightly by CALM on or near Penguin or Seal Island in the interest of public health considering the islands proximity to sewage outflow and the risks posed to people swimming, snorkelling and diving?
(5) What is the nature and type of discharge from the Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant?
(6) Given Perth’s expanding population and the high conservation and recreational values of the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park does the Minister consider that the Plant should be upgraded?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
8 November 2005
Responded by
Minister for Minister Assisting the Minister for Water Resources
Response time
28 days
(b) how often do these events occur? (c) why is discharge not stopped during these events? (d) what is the danger to the community, especially children, swimming and snorkelling in the water? (e) why is the community not alerted to these dangers?
(c) why is discharge not stopped during these events? (d) what is the danger to the community, especially children, swimming and snorkelling in the water? (e) why is the community not alerted to these dangers?
(d) what is the danger to the community, especially children, swimming and snorkelling in the water? (e) why is the community not alerted to these dangers?
(e) why is the community not alerted to these dangers?
(b) what were the likely origins of these pollutants? (c) what were the dangers to the community, especially children, swimming or snorkelling in the water on their long weekend?
(c) what were the dangers to the community, especially children, swimming or snorkelling in the water on their long weekend?
(2) N/A. (3) With the length of time elapsed since the sample was taken and uncertainties in the method of sampling and storage, the integrity of any results would be too compromised to be of any relevance. (4) CALM does not undertake any water quality testing near Penguin Island or Seal Island. However, the Water Corporation carries out fortnightly water quality testing in summer and once seasonally during autumn, winter and spring in the vicinity of the Sepia Depression ocean outlet. (5) 14 megalitres/day of primary treated wastewater diluted into 126 megalitres/day of secondary treated wastewater from the Woodman Point Wastewater Treatment Plant. The combined treated wastewaters then disperse from the 4.2 kilometre long Sepia Depression ocean outlet in offshore waters located outside the Marine Park. (6) Planning is in process to phase out Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant by 2015. Currently, Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant is meeting all environmental regulatory requirements.
(3) With the length of time elapsed since the sample was taken and uncertainties in the method of sampling and storage, the integrity of any results would be too compromised to be of any relevance. (4) CALM does not undertake any water quality testing near Penguin Island or Seal Island. However, the Water Corporation carries out fortnightly water quality testing in summer and once seasonally during autumn, winter and spring in the vicinity of the Sepia Depression ocean outlet. (5) 14 megalitres/day of primary treated wastewater diluted into 126 megalitres/day of secondary treated wastewater from the Woodman Point Wastewater Treatment Plant. The combined treated wastewaters then disperse from the 4.2 kilometre long Sepia Depression ocean outlet in offshore waters located outside the Marine Park. (6) Planning is in process to phase out Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant by 2015. Currently, Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant is meeting all environmental regulatory requirements.
(4) CALM does not undertake any water quality testing near Penguin Island or Seal Island. However, the Water Corporation carries out fortnightly water quality testing in summer and once seasonally during autumn, winter and spring in the vicinity of the Sepia Depression ocean outlet. (5) 14 megalitres/day of primary treated wastewater diluted into 126 megalitres/day of secondary treated wastewater from the Woodman Point Wastewater Treatment Plant. The combined treated wastewaters then disperse from the 4.2 kilometre long Sepia Depression ocean outlet in offshore waters located outside the Marine Park. (6) Planning is in process to phase out Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant by 2015. Currently, Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant is meeting all environmental regulatory requirements.
However, the Water Corporation carries out fortnightly water quality testing in summer and once seasonally during autumn, winter and spring in the vicinity of the Sepia Depression ocean outlet. (5) 14 megalitres/day of primary treated wastewater diluted into 126 megalitres/day of secondary treated wastewater from the Woodman Point Wastewater Treatment Plant. The combined treated wastewaters then disperse from the 4.2 kilometre long Sepia Depression ocean outlet in offshore waters located outside the Marine Park. (6) Planning is in process to phase out Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant by 2015. Currently, Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant is meeting all environmental regulatory requirements.
(c) why is discharge not stopped during these events? (d) what is the danger to the community, especially children, swimming and snorkelling in the water? (e) why is the community not alerted to these dangers?
(d) what is the danger to the community, especially children, swimming and snorkelling in the water? (e) why is the community not alerted to these dangers?
(e) why is the community not alerted to these dangers?
(b) what were the likely origins of these pollutants? (c) what were the dangers to the community, especially children, swimming or snorkelling in the water on their long weekend?
(c) what were the dangers to the community, especially children, swimming or snorkelling in the water on their long weekend?
(2) N/A. (3) With the length of time elapsed since the sample was taken and uncertainties in the method of sampling and storage, the integrity of any results would be too compromised to be of any relevance. (4) CALM does not undertake any water quality testing near Penguin Island or Seal Island. However, the Water Corporation carries out fortnightly water quality testing in summer and once seasonally during autumn, winter and spring in the vicinity of the Sepia Depression ocean outlet. (5) 14 megalitres/day of primary treated wastewater diluted into 126 megalitres/day of secondary treated wastewater from the Woodman Point Wastewater Treatment Plant. The combined treated wastewaters then disperse from the 4.2 kilometre long Sepia Depression ocean outlet in offshore waters located outside the Marine Park. (6) Planning is in process to phase out Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant by 2015. Currently, Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant is meeting all environmental regulatory requirements.
(3) With the length of time elapsed since the sample was taken and uncertainties in the method of sampling and storage, the integrity of any results would be too compromised to be of any relevance. (4) CALM does not undertake any water quality testing near Penguin Island or Seal Island. However, the Water Corporation carries out fortnightly water quality testing in summer and once seasonally during autumn, winter and spring in the vicinity of the Sepia Depression ocean outlet. (5) 14 megalitres/day of primary treated wastewater diluted into 126 megalitres/day of secondary treated wastewater from the Woodman Point Wastewater Treatment Plant. The combined treated wastewaters then disperse from the 4.2 kilometre long Sepia Depression ocean outlet in offshore waters located outside the Marine Park. (6) Planning is in process to phase out Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant by 2015. Currently, Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant is meeting all environmental regulatory requirements.
(4) CALM does not undertake any water quality testing near Penguin Island or Seal Island. However, the Water Corporation carries out fortnightly water quality testing in summer and once seasonally during autumn, winter and spring in the vicinity of the Sepia Depression ocean outlet. (5) 14 megalitres/day of primary treated wastewater diluted into 126 megalitres/day of secondary treated wastewater from the Woodman Point Wastewater Treatment Plant. The combined treated wastewaters then disperse from the 4.2 kilometre long Sepia Depression ocean outlet in offshore waters located outside the Marine Park. (6) Planning is in process to phase out Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant by 2015. Currently, Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant is meeting all environmental regulatory requirements.
However, the Water Corporation carries out fortnightly water quality testing in summer and once seasonally during autumn, winter and spring in the vicinity of the Sepia Depression ocean outlet. (5) 14 megalitres/day of primary treated wastewater diluted into 126 megalitres/day of secondary treated wastewater from the Woodman Point Wastewater Treatment Plant. The combined treated wastewaters then disperse from the 4.2 kilometre long Sepia Depression ocean outlet in offshore waters located outside the Marine Park. (6) Planning is in process to phase out Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant by 2015. Currently, Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant is meeting all environmental regulatory requirements.
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