Water quality monitoring

NEAP is co-funding an array of estuarine water quality sensors for real-time high frequency salinity, temperate and water depth data in collaboration with the Department of Climate Change, Energy the Environment and Water and the NSW Oyster Industry.  The sensors are deployed on oyster farming leases in estuaries and are managed by the oyster industry under the NSW Shellfish Quality Assurance Program. The project expands and extends the real time water quality monitoring array delivered under the Riparian Stabilisation Package’s East Coast Flood Project.

Following high-risk events such as floods, precautionary harvest area closures can be implemented to manage potential food safety risks. The long-term sensor data has demonstrated the link between salinity levels related to rainfall and E. coli levels. This real time data provides information to the oyster industry regarding the safe time to reopen harvest. It also provides valuable insights into the water quality for other waterway users after rainfall and flooding events.

Historical data and more information about the history of the project can be found on the University of Technology, Sydney's website under Sensor Data for Shellfish Production.

The real time data for all sensors is publicly available using the links below: