Water Nitrate

AUS-TSR-URB-WNI General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

0.015 mg/L
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 13 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 12 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

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

Evidence & Context

Eutrophication Risk (> 0.015 mg/L): Any sustained concentration above the reference-derived benchmark of 0.015 mg/L represents an anthropogenic addition of nutrients.

Metric Definition:

Threshold concentration above which eutrophication risk increases.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the threshold nitrate concentration above which eutrophication risk increases, indicating anthropogenic nutrient addition.

Justification:

Any concentration above the reference benchmark introduces excess nutrients, increasing the risk of algal growth and shifting the ecosystem from its natural oligotrophic state.

Sources (3)

Preview of Black ross (townsville) - water Quality improvement plan
Black ross (townsville) - water Quality improvement plan Journal

Black ross (townsville) - water Quality improvement plan

View Source
Preview of Land-use effects on water quality in an intensively managed catchment in the Australian humid tropics | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 30, 2025,
Land-use effects on water quality in an intensively managed catchment in the Australian humid tropics | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 30, 2025, Journal

Land-use effects on water quality in an intensively managed ...

View Source
Preview of Townsville basins - Queensland Environment Department, accessed August 2, 2025,
Townsville basins - Queensland Environment Department, accessed August 2, 2025,

Environmental Protection (Water and Wetland Biodiversity) Policy 2019 - Schedule 1 (referencing WQOs for Black River Basin)

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Tropical & Subtropical Rainforests
  • Land Use Urban & Developed Use
  • Assessment Not Stated
  • Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 3 Jun 2026

Notes

This is the first and most sensitive detrimental threshold for nitrate enrichment. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TSR-URB-WNI family.

0.015 mg/L Moderate
Urban & Developed Use · Not Stated
Point Active v1
— mg/L Moderate
Urban & Developed Use · Not Stated
OptimalRange Active v1
0.015 mg/L Moderate
Urban & Developed Use · Not Stated
MinimumOnly Active v1
50 mg/L Moderate
Urban & Developed Use · Not Stated
Point Rejected v2
0.015 mg/L Moderate
Urban & Developed Use · Not Stated
Point Superseded v1
— mg/L Moderate
Urban & Developed Use · Not Stated
OptimalRange Rejected v1