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Archived water quality assessments

Water quality at West Lakes is monitored by Transport SA and is assessed as being in good, moderate or poor condition by interpreting water chemistry and algal (chlorophyll) data. >> More

Water quality classification for October 2005 to March 2006

Indicator	Classification
Oxidised Nitrogen	Good
Total Nitrogen	Good
Soluble Phosphorus	Poor
Total Phosphorus	Good
Turbidity	Good
Chlorophyll a	Poor
Bacteria	Good

Notes NA = not applicable

Chlorophyll (a) is often classified as poor throughout West Lakes. This is probably due to the effect of fertilisers or animal wastes and runoff from roads entering West Lakes via stormwater drains. The elevated soluble phosphorus suggests this is the case. The high chlorophyll (a) indicates that algae are abundant in West Lakes, which can cause the water to appear unpleasant and possibly toxic.

This page was last modified 31-07-2007