Commencing in December 2021, the Derwent Estuary Program (DEP) supported by grant funding from The Ian Potter Foundation, deployed seven Eco Detection’s Ion-Q+ systems to conduct real-time water quality monitoring of dairy and agricultural runoff, sewage treatment discharge, pulp mill effluent, and fish hatchery effluent.
Key sites where the technology was installed included:
- TasWater sewage treatment plant
- Norske Skog Boyer pulp mill
- Saltas fish hatchery
- Meadowbank Vineyard
- Westerway Farm
- Downstream of major agriculture operations
Previously, it had been difficult for the DEP to monitor and reconcile activity across the estuary on a daily basis. But since implementation of Ion-Q+ technology, measurements are taken four times a day, every day.
The high frequency of analysis from Ion-Q+ has detected any unusual spikes in analytes, including an increase in phosphate traced to an instance of over fertilisation, and a week-long spike in nitrite that previously would have been missed.
The DEP’s commitment is to showcase Eco Detection’s Ion-Q+ technology to the Tasmanian Minister of Environment, CEOs, directors and other decision-makers across a wide range of industries and organisations to encourage uptake of the product.
The data obtained will lead to a better understanding of nutrient sources and allow DEP to calculate more accurate nutrient loads to help industry understand their nutrient discharges.”
DR BERNADETTE PROEMSE, CATCHMENT SCIENTIST
