Open Knowledge

Water Quality 35% open

Australia


What data is expected?

Data, measured at the water source, on the quality of water is essential for both the delivery of services and the prevention of diseases. In order to satisfy the minimum requirements for this category, data should be available on level of the following chemicals by water source and be updated at least weekly:

  • fecal coliform
  • arsenic
  • fluoride levels
  • nitrates
  • TDS (Total dissolved solids)

What data is available

  •   Openly licensed? No (No URL given)
  •   Is the data available for free? Yes
  •   Is the data machine readable? Unsure (n/a)
  •   Available in bulk? Unsure
  •   Is the data provided on a timely and up to date basis? Yes
  •   Publicly available? Yes(as Drinking water quality indicators published by Each individual water authority around the country)
  •   Is data in digital form? Unsure
  •   Is the data available online? Unsure (No URL given)
  •   Does the data exist? Yes

Details

It appears that there is no national aggregation of this data, except at a high level (http://www.nwc.gov.au/nwi/biennial-assessments), but individual water authorities around the country, of which there are many, publish water quality data in their annual reports. There are national guidelines and requirements that all water authorities publish data on drinking water quality, however all this data with very few exceptions was only available in PDF reports, and nowhere centrally discoverable. Some examples below:

Overall report with some indicators at http://www.nwc.gov.au/publications/topic/nprs/npr-2013-urban

Sydney - http://www.sydneywater.com.au/SW/water-the-environment/how-we-manage-sydney-s-water/waterquality/our-monitoring-program/index.htm

NSW - http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/water/Pages/Drinking-Water-Quality-and-Incidents.aspx

NT - http://www.health.nt.gov.au/Environmental_Health/Water_Quality/

SA - could only find http://www.pay.sawater.sa.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/A9EDDE34-3A8E-40EA-9914-64441C7721AE/0/DrinkingWaterQualityReport201314.pdf

Reviewer comments

Publish

Contributors

Reviewers

  • Nisha Thompson

Submitters

  • Pia Waugh