Avondale water sampling results

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Tables

Table 1 Physicochemical water quality, nutrient, ion, metal and PFAS concentrations in Heritage Creek and Mullet Creek downstream and upstream of the Huntley Landfill
Table 2 Physicochemical water quality, nutrient, ion, metal and PFAS concentrations in Heritage Creek and Mullet Creek downstream and upstream of the Huntley Landfill

Table 1: Physicochemical water quality, nutrient, ion, metal and PFAS concentrations in Heritage Creek and Mullet Creek downstream and upstream of the Huntley Landfill, compared to the Recreational water guidelines (NHMRC 2008, 2025), Australian Livestock Drinking Water Guidelines and the Australian Irrigation Guidelines (ANZECC & ARMCANZ 2000).

Parameter	Recreational water guidelines NHMRC 2008, 2025	Livestock drinking water guidelines ANZECC & ARMCANZ 2000	Irrigation guidelines ANZECC & ARMCANZ 2000	HC-1	HC-2	MC-2	MCR1	MCR2	MCR3	MC-1 (upstream)
General water quality
pH	6.5-8.5	-	6.0-9.0*	7.6	7.8	8.4	7.9	8.0	8.4	8.6
Temperature (°C)	-	-	-	22.1	20.9	23.3	21.5	22.4	23.4	19.8
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)	-	-	-	2.7	2.9	10.8	7.0	3.7	12.1	9.9
Conductivity (µS/cm)	-	-	-	2470	2540	730	670	590	590	450
Turbidity (NTU)	-	-	-	14.4	7.1	4.9	3.7	1.5	0.2	0.3
TDS (mg/L)	-	2000	-	1300	1300	440	380	380	370	320
TSS (mg/L)	-	-	-	7	5	<3	<3	<3	<3	<3
Alkalinity (mg/L)	-	-	-	1100	1100	350	290	280	270	250
Nutrients and ions (mg/L)
Ammonia	-	-	-	52	50	6.6	1.8	0.73	0.086	0.05
Nitrogen	-	-	<25-125	67	63	8	3.4	3.1	2.3	0.2
Phosphorus	-	-	<0.8-12	<0.05	<0.05	<0.05	<0.05	<0.05	<0.05	<0.05
Nitrate	500	400	-	1.6	3.8	1.5	4.7	8.6	9	<0.9
Nitrite	30	30	-	1.3	3.3	0.92	0.97	1.1	0.5	<0.25
Fluoride	15	2	2	0.5	0.5	<0.3	<0.3	<0.3	<0.3	<0.3
Sulfate	-	1000	-	23	24	15	18	19	19	13
Bromide	-	-	-	<0.5	<0.5	0.5	<0.5	<0.5	<0.5	<0.5
Chloride	-	-	175**	190	190	51	43	44	44	32
Sodium	-	-	115**	200	200	75	64	64	62	54
Metals (mg/L)
Aluminium	-	5	20	0.23	0.15	0.05	<0.01	<0.01	<0.01	0.01
Antimony	0.03	-	-	<0.0005	<0.0005	<0.0005	<0.0005	<0.0005	<0.0005	<0.0005
Arsenic	0.1	0.5-5	2	0.0034	0.0022	0.0015	0.001	0.0009	0.0006	0.0013
Barium	20	-	-	1.6	1.4	0.83	0.66	0.58	0.48	0.73
Beryllium	0.6	-	0.5	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005
Boron	40	5	<0.5**-15	1.0	1.0	0.16	0.09	0.09	0.08	0.02
Cadmium	0.02	0.01	0.05	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005
Calcium	-	1000	-	140	140	54	41	41	41	34
Chromium	0.5	1	1	0.0032	0.003	0.0007	<0.0005	<0.0005	<0.0005	<0.0005
Cobalt	-	1	0.1	0.0032	0.0032	0.00064	0.00032	0.00027	0.00026	0.00006
Copper	20	0.4	5	0.001	0.0009	0.0009	0.0007	0.0008	0.0009	0.0008
Iron	-	-	10	2.8	1.1	0.2	0.07	0.05	0.06	0.02
Lead	0.05	0.1	5	0.0008	0.0004	0.0003	<0.0001	<0.0001	<0.0001	0.0002
Lithium	-	-	2.5 (0.075 for citrus)	0.056	0.057	0.058	0.053	0.048	0.045	0.055
Manganese	1	-	10	1.4	1.3	0.22	0.04	0.011	0.012	0.004
Mercury	0.01	0.002	0.002	<0.00004	<0.00004	<0.00004	<0.00004	<0.00004	<0.00004	<0.00004
Molybdenum	0.5	0.15	0.05	0.0037	0.0036	0.0027	0.0025	0.0023	0.0021	0.0022
Nickel	0.2	1	2	0.0056	0.0056	0.0012	0.0007	0.0008	0.0008	<0.0005
Selenium	0.04	0.02	0.05	<0.002	<0.002	<0.002	<0.002	<0.002	<0.002	<0.002
Silver	1	-	-	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005
Vanadium	-	-	0.5	0.0016	0.0014	0.0012	0.0008	0.0008	0.0008	0.0008
Zinc	-	20	5	0.007	0.007	0.002	0.001	0.001	0.001	<0.001
PFAS (µg/L) *
PFOA	10	-	-	0.13	0.12	0.016	0.013	0.0096	0.0098	<0.0002
PFHxS & PFOS	2	-	-	0.26	0.26	0.036	0.04	0.024	0.016	0.001

Any guideline exceedances have been bolded.

* Based on the potential for deterioration because of corrosion or fouling, not any health risks.

** Guideline for sensitive crops (almond, apricot, barley, blackberry, cherry, citrus, cowpea, garlic, grape, kidney beans, Jerusalem artichoke, lime beans, lupin, mung bean, onion, peach, plum, sesame, strawberry, sunflower, sweet potato, wheat).

Table 2: Physicochemical water quality, nutrient, ion, metal and PFAS concentrations in Heritage Creek and Mullet Creek downstream and upstream of the Huntley Landfill, compared to ecological water quality guidelines (ANZG 2018, ANZECC & ARMCANZ 2000 and HEPA 2025)

Parameter	Ecological water quality guideline	HC-1	HC-2	MC-2	MCR1	MCR2	MCR3	MC-1 (upstream)
General water quality
Conductivity (µS/cm)	2200	2470	2540	730	670	590	590	450
pH	6.5-8.5	7.6	7.8	8.4	7.9	8.0	8.4	8.6
Turbidity (NTU)	50	14.4	7.1	4.9	3.7	1.45	0.21	0.27
Nutrients and ions (mg/L)
Nitrogen	0.35	67	63	8	3.4	3.1	2.3	0.2
Ammonia	0.9/0.02*	52	50	6.6	1.8	0.73	0.086	0.05
NOx as N	0.04	0.78	1.6	0.73	1.3	2.3	2.1	0.066
Phosphorus	0.025**	<0.05	<0.05	<0.05	<0.05	<0.05	<0.05	<0.05
Nitrate	29	1.6	3.8	1.5	4.7	8.6	9	<0.9
Fluoride	1.7	0.5	0.5	<0.3	<0.3	<0.3	<0.3	<0.3
Metals (mg/L)
Aluminium	0.055	<0.01	<0.01	<0.01	<0.01	<0.01	<0.01	<0.01
Arsenic	0.013	0.0018	0.0017	0.0014	0.0009	0.0009	0.0006	0.0013
Boron	0.94	1.0	1.1	0.15	0.09	0.09	0.08	0.02
Cadmium	0.0002	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005
Chromium	0.001	0.0028	0.0028	0.0006	<0.0005	<0.0005	<0.0005	<0.0005
Copper	0.0014	0.0004	0.0005	0.0007	0.0006	0.0007	0.0008	0.0006
Iron	0.28	0.07	0.07	0.03	0.02	0.02	0.03	<0.01
Lead	0.0034	<0.0001	<0.0001	<0.0001	<0.0001	<0.0001	<0.0001	<0.0001
Manganese	1.9	1.2	1.2	0.19	0.018	0.004	0.009	0.001
Mercury	0.00006	<0.00004	<0.00004	<0.00004	<0.00004	<0.00004	<0.00004	<0.00004
Nickel	0.011	0.0053	0.0053	0.0011	0.0007	0.0007	0.0007	<0.0005
Selenium	0.005	<0.002	<0.002	<0.002	<0.002	<0.002	<0.002	<0.002
Silver	0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005	<0.00005
Zinc	0.008	0.004	0.005	0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001
PFAS (µg/L)***
PFOS	0.00023	0.076	0.068	0.014	0.021	0.0093	0.0078	0.0006
PFOA	19	0.13	0.12	0.016	0.013	0.0096	0.0098	<0.0002
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)	-	0.18	0.19	0.023	0.019	0.015	0.0087	0.0004
Perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS)	-	0.054	0.067	<0.01	0.011	0.012	0.0098	<0.0004
Perfluorobutanoic acid	-	0.067	0.063	<0.02	0.007	0.007	0.007	<0.002
Perfluoroethylcyclohexanesulfonic acid	-	0.0046	0.0049	0.0006	<0.0002	<0.0002	<0.0002	<0.0002
Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid	-	0.004	0.004	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001
Perfluoroheptanoic acid	-	0.066	0.062	0.017	0.011	0.0094	0.01	<0.0004
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)	-	0.15	0.15	0.012	0.0056	0.0052	0.004	<0.0004
Perfluorononanoic acid	-	0.006	0.006	0.002	0.002	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001
Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid	-	<0.01	<0.01	0.002	0.002	0.001	0.001	<0.001
Perfluoropentanoic acid	-	0.21	0.24	0.024	<0.02	<0.02	0.02	<0.002
Perfluoropropanesulfonic acid	-	<0.01	<0.01	<0.01	0.002	0.002	0.002	<0.001

Any guideline exceedances have been bolded.

* Two ecological guidelines exist for ammonia. The toxicant guideline (0.9 mg/L) to protect against direct toxicity, and the physical stressor guideline (0.02 mg/L) addressing nutrient enrichment and ecosystem stress.

** The limit of reporting for phosphorus was above the ecological guideline value, so it is possible an exceedance may not have been observed.

*** Only PFAS compounds with a detection above the limit of reporting are displayed in the table. A total of 43 PFAS compounds were analysed.

Updated 13 January 2026