Water Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-TSR-URB-WEC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

300 µS/cm
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: MaximumOnly

Scoring Curve

This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context. The scoring engine uses 2 benchmarks together — the MaximumOnly form drives the primary score, while 1 guard(s) constrain the result.

Evidence & Context

Based on this synthesis, a benchmark of < 300 µS/cm is proposed as the best available condition for urban streams in this biome.

Metric Definition:

Electrical Conductivity (EC) is a fundamental measure of water quality, quantifying the ability of water to conduct an electrical current.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the best available electrical conductivity condition achievable in urban streams of the Tropical & Subtropical Rainforests biome in Australia, reflecting best-practice water sensitive urban design.

Justification:

This value is based on applying a realistic impact factor to the 80th percentile of the pristine reference condition (20-111 µS/cm) and sits well below the Bureau of Meteorology's 'high quality' threshold of 400 µS/cm.

Sources (1)

Preview of Water-Quality-Salinity-Standards.pdf, accessed August 11, 2025,
Water-Quality-Salinity-Standards.pdf, accessed August 11, 2025, Journal

What Is The Typical Water Conductivity Range? - Atlas Scientific, accessed July 13, 2025

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Supporting Sources (1)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) Water Quality Degradation of Coastal Waterways in the Wet Tropics, Australia, accessed August 2, 2025,
(PDF) Water Quality Degradation of Coastal Waterways in the Wet Tropics, Australia, accessed August 2, 2025,
Direct Evidence

Requirements for graziers | Environment, land and water ..., accessed July 19, 2025,

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Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Tropical & Subtropical Rainforests
  • Land Use Urban & Developed Use
  • Assessment Conservation Target
  • Evidence Type TargetCondition

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 20 Mar 2026

Notes

It is a derived value, as direct, long-term monitoring data from high-health tropical WSUD sites is not currently available.