| Issue |
Source(s) |
Associated Problems in Creeks |
| Sewage Pollution |
- sewer overflows
- leakage from mains and private sewer lines
|
- pathogens including bacteria (eg. E.coli) and protozoa
(eg. Cryptosporidium and Giardia) may be released into creeks,
posing a risk to human and animal health
- nutrients
- chemicals such as detergents
- an increase in total dissolved solids, including salt
- endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may be released
in sewage, with the potential to affect important functions
in the human body
|
| Oils, grease and other chemicals |
- industry
- motor vehicles
- poor disposal of domestic wastes
|
- toxic to aquatic life, destroys food chain
- kills plants and animals
- chemicals take a long time to break down
|
| Nutrients |
- fertilizer run-off
- sewer overflows
- stormwater
|
- increased growth of algae and weeds leading to low oxygen
levels
- changes to food chain
|
| Detergents |
- car washing
- sewer overflows
- stormwater run-off
|
- harmful to aquatic life
- adds nutrients
- increases turbidity of water
|
| Litter and rubbish |
- shopping centres
- domestic waste
- illegal dumping
- wind
- stormwater run-off
- roads
|
- unsightly
- adds chemicals to creeks
- harmful to animals
- encourages weed growth
|
| Weeds |
- dumped rubbish
- upstream infestations
- birds and wind
- stormwater
|
- loss of native flora and fauna
- changed nutrient cycling
- changed light conditions
- changed stream dynamics and sedimentation
|
| Sediment |
- development sites
- erosion
- stormwater run-off
|
- increased turbidity
- in-filling of creek pools
- weed growth
|
| Pesticides |
- stormwater run-off
- illegal dumping
- spray drift
|
- toxic to aquatic life
- long persistence in sediments
- harmful to human health
|
| Changes to creek flow |
- reduced vegetation and increased paved and impermeable
surfaces in urban areas
|
- erosion
- steepens creek channels
- widened creeks and damaged creekline vegetation and sedimentation
downstream
|
