Oceanographic data from the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Davis Sewage Outfall

Created 23/06/2025

Updated 23/06/2025

Untreated, macerated wastewater effluent has been discharged to the sea at Davis Station since 2005, when the old wastewater treatment infrastructure was removed. This environmental assessment was instigated to guide the choice of the most suitable wastewater treatment facility at Davis. The assessment will support decisions that enable Australia to meet the standards set for the discharge of wastewaters in Antarctica in national legislation (Waste Management Regulations of the Antarctic Treaty Environmental Protection Act - ATEP) and to meet international commitments (the Madrid Protocol) and to meet Australia's aspirations to be a leader in Antarctic environmental protection. The overall objective was to provide environmental information in support of an operational infrastructure project to upgrade wastewater treatment at Davis. This information is required to ensure that the upgrade satisfies national legislation (ATEP/Waste Management Regulations), international commitments (the Madrid Protocol) and maintain the AAD's status as an international leader in environmental management. The specific objectives were to: 1. Wastewater properties: Determine the properties of discharged wastewater (contaminant levels, toxicity, microbiological hazards) as the basis for recommendations on the required level of treatment and provide further consideration of what might constitute adequate dilution and dispersal for discharge to the nearshore marine environment 2. Dispersal and dilution characteristics of marine environment: Assess the dispersing characteristics of the immediate nearshore marine environment in the vicinity of Davis Station to determine whether conditions at the existing site of effluent discharge are adequate to meet the ATEP requirement of initial dilution and rapid dispersal. 3. Environmental impacts: Describe the nature and extent of impacts to the marine environment associated with present wastewater discharge practices at Davis and determine whether wastewater discharge practices have adversely affected the local environment. 4. Evaluate treatment options: Evaluate the different levels of treatment required to mitigate and/or prevent various environmental impacts and reduce environmental risks.

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Additional Info

Field Value
Title Oceanographic data from the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Davis Sewage Outfall
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/c67bdb78-7953-40e2-afc6-3ea1e0e76497
Contact Point
Australian Ocean Data Network
metadata@aad.gov.au
Reference Period 01/11/2009 - 31/03/2010
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
{
  "coordinates": [
    [
      [
        77.85883,
        -68.65507
      ],
      [
        78.08167,
        -68.65507
      ],
      [
        78.08167,
        -68.51921
      ],
      [
        77.85883,
        -68.51921
      ],
      [
        77.85883,
        -68.65507
      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Australian Oceans Data Network

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Australian Oceans Data Network "Oceanographic data from the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Davis Sewage Outfall". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://catalogue.aodn.org.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/oceanographic-data-from-the-environmental-impact-assessment-of-the-davis-sewage-outfall