About the analysis
Every five years, we conduct an analysis of the quality of Victoria's water. We are required to do this under the Water Act 1989 (section 22).
This is the latest analysis but the scope and approach of this work are new. Data from 1996-2021 was examined at up to 137 sites. They were examined for each of these parameters:
- Salinity (EC)
- Turbidity (cloudiness)
- Total Phosphorus and Total Nitrogen (two important nutrient measures)
- pH (which tells us the acidity or alkalinity if water) and
- dissolved oxygen concentration (an important requirement for aquatic organisms)
The study addresses key questions about surface water quality in Victoria.
- how water quality varies across Victoria and why
- how water quality has change over time, and
- how long-term climate variability impacts water quality.
Additionally, data were gathered to consider three other questions relevant to communities and practitioners, they were:
- how bushfires affect water quality
- how blue-green algal blooms are changing and
- understanding low dissolved oxygen events.
Page last updated: 31/10/23