Water Nitrate

AUS-TSR-URB-WNI General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range
Range: 0 to 0.015 mg/L
Optimal Range: 0 to 0.015
Direction: Lower is desirable ↓
Form: OptimalRange

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

Optimal Range: The optimal range for ecological health is synonymous with the natural, unpolluted state. Therefore, the optimal range is considered to be any concentration up to the derived benchmark of < 0.015 mg/L.

Metric Definition:

Optimal nitrate concentration range for ecological health in tropical urban streams.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark defines the optimal nitrate concentration range representing the natural, unpolluted state in tropical urban streams, up to 0.015 mg/L.

Justification:

Best practice management aims to keep concentrations as low as possible, maintaining the natural background.

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 HealthyOperationalRange

Lifecycle

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

Notes

Represents the natural, unpolluted state up to the 80th percentile of reference conditions. No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always worse beyond this point. 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
MaximumOnly Active v1
0.015 mg/L Moderate
Urban & Developed Use · Not Stated
Point 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