Water Turbidity

AUS-TMS-IND-WTU General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

26 NTU
Direction: Lower 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 9 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 8 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary MaximumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard

Evidence & Context

This report establishes a Guideline value of 26 NTU for turbidity.

Metric Definition:

Water turbidity measured in Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) as an indicator of suspended sediment concentration in water.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the maximum allowable turbidity level in water to prevent harm to downstream ecosystems in the Tropical Monsoonal Savannas biome under industrial land use.

Justification:

Derived from a site-specific, risk-based process involving decades of research and monitoring at the Ranger Uranium Mine, designed to protect a high-value downstream ecosystem.

Sources (1)

Preview of Revised Ranger Mine Water Quality Objectives for Magela Creek ..., accessed July 24, 2025
Revised Ranger Mine Water Quality Objectives for Magela Creek ..., accessed July 24, 2025 Government

Regulatory Statement: Monitoring of Electrical Conductivity in the Beetaloo Sub 2basin, accessed August 1, 2025

View Source

Supporting Sources (32)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of 2. Development of a water quality regulation framework for pulse exposures of mine water discharges at a uranium mine in northern Australia - PubMed, accessed July 24, 2025
2. Development of a water quality regulation framework for pulse exposures of mine water discharges at a uranium mine in northern Australia - PubMed, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Regulatory Framework Journal

2. Development of a water quality regulation framework for pulse exposures of mine water discharges at a uranium mine in northern Australia - PubMed, accessed July 21, 2025,

View Source
Preview of A meta-analytical review of turbidity effects on fish mobility - ResearchGate, accessed July 24, 2025
A meta-analytical review of turbidity effects on fish mobility - ResearchGate, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

A meta-analytical review of turbidity effects on fish mobility - ResearchGate, accessed July 19, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Aquatic conservation values of the Daly River Catchment, Northern Territory, Australia - image, accessed July 24, 2025
Aquatic conservation values of the Daly River Catchment, Northern Territory, Australia - image, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Aquatic conservation values of the Daly River Catchment, Northern Territory, Australia - image, accessed July 24, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Assessing discharges from a uranium mine 14 case study - Water Quality Australia, accessed May 14, 2025,
Assessing discharges from a uranium mine 14 case study - Water Quality Australia, accessed May 14, 2025,
Contextual Support Direct Evidence Government

Water Quality Guidelines Assessing discharges from a uranium ...

View Source
Preview of Characterising the relationship between water quality and water quantity, accessed August 5, 2025
Characterising the relationship between water quality and water quantity, accessed August 5, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Turbidity | Australia state of the environment 2021

View Source
Preview of Daly River Catchment — towards an integrated catchment management, accessed July 24, 2025
Daly River Catchment — towards an integrated catchment management, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Daly River Catchment — towards an integrated catchment management, accessed July 24, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Discharge-driven seasonal pattern of ionic solutes, suspended sediment and water clarity for a tropical savanna river in northern Australia - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Marine and Freshwater Research, accessed July 24, 2025
Discharge-driven seasonal pattern of ionic solutes, suspended sediment and water clarity for a tropical savanna river in northern Australia - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Marine and Freshwater Research, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Marine and Freshwater Research - CSIRO PUBLISHING

View Source
Preview of Draft Environmental Impact Statement - Northern Territory Government, accessed July 24, 2025
Draft Environmental Impact Statement - Northern Territory Government, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Draft Environmental Impact Statement - Northern Territory Government, accessed July 24, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Effectiveness of mine rehabilitation in relation to water quality - PubMed, accessed July 24, 2025
Effectiveness of mine rehabilitation in relation to water quality - PubMed, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Water Quality Protection Guidelines No. 1 - Government of Western ..., accessed July 24, 2025

View Source
Preview of Effects of turbidity and introduced tilapia (Oreochromis spp) on macrophytes and invertebrates in a shallow tropical lake | Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems, accessed July 24, 2025
Effects of turbidity and introduced tilapia (Oreochromis spp) on macrophytes and invertebrates in a shallow tropical lake | Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Waterhouse, J. (2010) Thresholds of major pollutants with regard to impacts on instream and marine ecosystems, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978 - Transparency Portal, accessed July 24, 2025
Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978 - Transparency Portal, accessed July 24, 2025
Regulatory Framework

Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978 - Transparency Portal, accessed July 24, 2025, )-act-1978

View Source
Preview of Environmental impact of the Ranger uranium mine, Alligator Rivers Region, Northern Territory, Australia - OSTI, accessed July 24, 2025
Environmental impact of the Ranger uranium mine, Alligator Rivers Region, Northern Territory, Australia - OSTI, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Direct Evidence Journal

Revised Ranger Mine Water Quality Objectives for Magela Creek and Gulungul Creek (DOCX 1 MB) - DCCEEW

View Source
Preview of Environmental Impact Statement Olympic Dam Expansion - Assessment Report, accessed July 24, 2025
Environmental Impact Statement Olympic Dam Expansion - Assessment Report, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Environmental Impact Statement Olympic Dam Expansion - Assessment Report, accessed July 24, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Guidelines for the management of water in mines and quarries - Resources Victoria, accessed July 24, 2025
Guidelines for the management of water in mines and quarries - Resources Victoria, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Regulatory Framework Government

Guidelines for the management of water in mines and quarries - Resources Victoria

View Source
Preview of Köppen climate classification - Wikipedia, accessed July 24, 2025
Köppen climate classification - Wikipedia, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Köppen climate classification - Wikipedia, accessed July 24, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Mining in the Alligator Rivers Region, northern Australia: assessing potential and actual effects on ecosystem and human health - PubMed, accessed July 24, 2025
Mining in the Alligator Rivers Region, northern Australia: assessing potential and actual effects on ecosystem and human health - PubMed, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Revised Ranger Mine Water Quality Objectives for Magela Creek ..., accessed July 24, 2025

View Source
Preview of Recommended environmental water requirements for the Daly River, Northern Territory, based on ecological, hydrological and biological principles - DCCEEW, accessed May 14, 2025,
Recommended environmental water requirements for the Daly River, Northern Territory, based on ecological, hydrological and biological principles - DCCEEW, accessed May 14, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Water quality monitoring in the Mary River catchment - Territory Stories, accessed July 24, 2025

View Source
Preview of Sandy Flat Mine (former Redbank Mine) | NT.GOV.AU, accessed July 24, 2025
Sandy Flat Mine (former Redbank Mine) | NT.GOV.AU, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Government

Sandy Flat Mine (former Redbank Mine) | NT.GOV.AU, accessed July 24, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Sustainable Mine Water Management Strategies, accessed July 24, 2025
Sustainable Mine Water Management Strategies, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Sustainable Mine Water Management Strategies, accessed July 24, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Sustainable mine-water management strategies for open-pit mines - Mining Engineering Online - Official Publication of SME, accessed July 24, 2025
Sustainable mine-water management strategies for open-pit mines - Mining Engineering Online - Official Publication of SME, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Sustainable mine-water management strategies for open-pit mines - Mining Engineering Online - Official Publication of SME, accessed July 24, 2025,

View Source
Preview of The ALTEMIS Approach - Savannah River National Laboratory, accessed July 24, 2025
The ALTEMIS Approach - Savannah River National Laboratory, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Government

The ALTEMIS Approach - Savannah River National Laboratory, accessed July 24, 2025,

View Source
Preview of To fear or to feed: the effects of turbidity on perception of risk by a marine fish - ResearchOnline@JCU, accessed July 24, 2025
To fear or to feed: the effects of turbidity on perception of risk by a marine fish - ResearchOnline@JCU, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

To fear or to feed: the effects of turbidity on perception of risk by a marine fish - ResearchOnline@JCU, accessed July 24, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Turbulence, Temperature, and Turbidity: The Ecomechanics of Predator–Prey Interactions in Fishes | Integrative and Comparative Biology | Oxford Academic, accessed July 24, 2025
Turbulence, Temperature, and Turbidity: The Ecomechanics of Predator–Prey Interactions in Fishes | Integrative and Comparative Biology | Oxford Academic, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Turbulence, Temperature, and Turbidity: The Ecomechanics of Predator–Prey Interactions in Fishes | Integrative and Comparative Biology | Oxford Academic, accessed July 24, 2025,

View Source
Preview of UNDERSTANDING AUSTRALIA'S UNDERSTANDING AUSTRALIA'S TROPICAL RIVERS, accessed July 24, 2025
UNDERSTANDING AUSTRALIA'S UNDERSTANDING AUSTRALIA'S TROPICAL RIVERS, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

UNDERSTANDING AUSTRALIA'S UNDERSTANDING AUSTRALIA'S TROPICAL RIVERS, accessed July 24, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Uranium in Sediments — Rehabilitation Standard for the Ranger uranium mine, accessed July 24, 2025
Uranium in Sediments — Rehabilitation Standard for the Ranger uranium mine, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Direct Evidence Journal

Uranium in Sediments — Rehabilitation Standard for the Ranger uranium mine, accessed July 24, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Water Infrastructure Code of Practice - Wet Tropics Management Authority, accessed July 24, 2025
Water Infrastructure Code of Practice - Wet Tropics Management Authority, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Water Infrastructure Code of Practice - Wet Tropics Management ..., accessed July 24, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Water Quality Guidelines for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park., accessed August 3, 2025,
Water Quality Guidelines for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park., accessed August 3, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Determining Tipping Points and Responses of Macroinvertebrate Traits to Abiotic Factors in Support of River Management - PubMed Central

View Source
Preview of Water quality monitoring in the Mary River catchment - Territory Stories, accessed July 24, 2025
Water quality monitoring in the Mary River catchment - Territory Stories, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Direct Evidence Government

Water quality monitoring in the Mary River catchment - Territory Stories, accessed July 24, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Water Quality Protection Guidelines No. 5 - Government of Western ..., accessed July 24, 2025
Water Quality Protection Guidelines No. 5 - Government of Western ..., accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Assessment of Impacts of Coal Mining in the Region of Sydney, Australia on the Aquatic Environment Using Macroinvertebrates and Chlorophyll as Indicators

View Source
Preview of WATER STEWARDSHIP - Leading Practice Sustainable ..., accessed July 24, 2025
WATER STEWARDSHIP - Leading Practice Sustainable ..., accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

(PDF) Water quality in two Australian dryland rivers: spatial and ..., accessed July 20, 2025

View Source
Preview of Water stewardship | Leading practice handbooks for sustainable mining, accessed July 24, 2025
Water stewardship | Leading practice handbooks for sustainable mining, accessed July 24, 2025
Contextual Support Government

Water stewardship | Leading practice handbooks for sustainable mining, accessed July 13, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Why Measure Turbidity? - Montclair State University, accessed August 12, 2025,
Why Measure Turbidity? - Montclair State University, accessed August 12, 2025,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Why Measure Turbidity? - Montclair State University, accessed July 31, 2025,

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Tropical Monsoonal Savannas
  • Land Use Industrial & Infrastructure Use
  • Assessment Not Stated
  • Evidence Type RegulatoryTrigger

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 1 Jun 2026

Notes

This value functions as an upper detrimental threshold for regulatory purposes; exceeding it indicates a management failure. It is context-specific to a well-managed industrial site in the Australian Tropical Monsoonal Savanna biome. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.