Metadata details

DAVIS_STP

All scientific data collected by the Australian Antarctic program (AAp) are eventually described in the Catalogue of Australian Antarctic and Subantarctic Metadata (CAASM). CAASM can be used to search through AAp data descriptions, and it also provides links to access publicly available datasets, which can either be immediately downloaded or obtained from the Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AADC).

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Citation
Stark, J.S., Riddle, M.J., Snape, I. and King, C.K. (2012) Environmental Impact Assessment of the Davis Sewage Outfall, Ver. 1, Australian Antarctic Data Centre - https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/DAVIS_STP, Accessed: 2026-05-13
Title
Environmental Impact Assessment of the Davis Sewage Outfall
Data Centre
Australian Antarctic Data Centre, Australia
Created Date
2012-03-23
Revision Date
2018-01-04
Parent record
None
Child record
DAVIS_STP_Biota
DAVIS_STP_Chemistry
DAVIS_STP_Ecotoxicology
DAVIS_STP_Metals
DAVIS_STP_Oceanography

Datasets and documents

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    Description

    Untreated, macerated wastewater effluent has been discharged to the sea at Davis Station since 2005, when the old wastewater treatment infrastructure was removed. This environmental assessment was instigated to guide the choice of the most suitable wastewater treatment facility at Davis. The assessment will support decisions that enable Australia to meet the standards set for the discharge of wastewaters in Antarctica in national legislation (Waste Management Regulations of the Antarctic Treaty Environmental Protection Act - ATEP) and to meet international commitments (the Madrid Protocol) and to meet Australia's aspirations to be a leader in Antarctic environmental protection.
    The overall objective was to provide environmental information in support of an operational infrastructure project to upgrade wastewater treatment at Davis. This information is required to ensure that the upgrade satisfies national legislation (ATEP/Waste Management Regulations), international commitments (the Madrid Protocol) and maintain the AAD's status as an international leader in environmental management. The specific objectives were to:
    1. Wastewater properties: Determine the properties of discharged wastewater (contaminant levels, toxicity, microbiological hazards) as the basis for recommendations on the required level of treatment and provide further consideration of what might constitute adequate dilution and dispersal for discharge to the nearshore marine environment
    2. Dispersal and dilution characteristics of marine environment: Assess the dispersing characteristics of the immediate nearshore marine environment in the vicinity of Davis Station to determine whether conditions at the existing site of effluent discharge are adequate to meet the ATEP requirement of initial dilution and rapid dispersal.
    3. Environmental impacts: Describe the nature and extent of impacts to the marine environment associated with present wastewater discharge practices at Davis and determine whether wastewater discharge practices have adversely affected the local environment.
    4. Evaluate treatment options: Evaluate the different levels of treatment required to mitigate and/or prevent various environmental impacts and reduce environmental risks.

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    Purpose

    This is the master metadata record (master DIF) for the project. It is linked to many datasets ranging from biology to chemistry to oceanography.

    Access

    See the child records for access to these data.

    Temporal Coverages

    Spatial Coverages

    Latitude

    Northernmost:
    -68.51921
    Southernmost:
    -68.65507

    Longitude

    Westernmost:
    77.85883
    Easternmost:
    78.08167
    Minimum Depth:
    2 M
    Maximum Depth:
    35 M

    Science Keywords

    Additional Keywords

    • sewage outfall
    • sewage treatment

    Locations

    • CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA
    • GEOGRAPHIC REGION > EASTERN HEMISPHERE
    • GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR
    • VERTICAL LOCATION > SEA FLOOR

    Platforms

      None

    Instruments

    • BONGO NETS
    • CURRENT METERS
    • NISKIN BOTTLES
    • SEDIMENT CORERS
    • SEDIMENT TRAPS
    • WATER BOTTLES
    • GILLNETS
    • QUADRATS

    Researchers

    • stark, jonathan (INVESTIGATOR,DIF AUTHOR,TECHNICAL CONTACT)
    • riddle, martin (INVESTIGATOR)
    • snape, ian (INVESTIGATOR)
    • king, catherine (INVESTIGATOR)

    Use Constraints

    This data set conforms to the CCBY Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

    Please follow instructions listed in the citation reference provided at http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/metadata/citation.cfm?entry_id=DAVIS_STP when using these data.

    Creative Commons License