Skip to content

BHP's planned Olympic Dam expansion to increase output of copper ¦ Amendments to exclusion periods for WPA access zones, issued February 2019 ¦ Mineral Resources Division is now based at level 4, 11 Waymouth Street, Adelaide 5000

On this page

The water quality monitoring program was established to determine:

  • Heavy metal loads entering the Dawesley Creek from the site.  This is achieved by measuring stream flow and metal concentration upstream and downstream of the mine (Annual and Seasonal).
  • The (biological) extent of impact of the mine (i.e. the zone of impact) on Dawesley Creek and the Bremer River. Biological (macro-invertebrate) monitoring is done on a quarterly basis.
  • The temporal and spatial variations of pH and heavy metals concentrations within the zone of impact.  Grab sampling program is undertaken monthly.

Temporal and spatial water quality monitoring

Annual and seasonal loads of various chemical contaminants entering Dawesley Creek from the mine waste is determined by:

  • Continual logging of creek flow
  • Collection of flow-rate proportional composite samples.

Composite water samples are collected fortnightly from a station upstream of the site and another downstream. Flow data and the chemical analysis of the composite samples are tabulated and reported annually.

Back to top 

Biological monitoring

Biological monitoring in the Dawesley Creek–Bremer River system commenced in September 1996 with the selection of six monitoring sites. A control is located upstream and five are downstream of the Brukunga mine site. Stream sampling is performed on a quarterly basis for the Department of State Development by a biologist from the Australian Water Quality Centre (AWQC).

Back to top

For more information, contact:

For inquiries relating to the Brukunga Mine Site:

Catherine Fullston
Prinicpal Project Manager
Mining Regulation Branch
GPO Box 320
ADELAIDE SA 5001

Email: catherine.fullston@sa.gov.au
Brukunga postal address
PO Box 283
NAIRNE SA 5252

Treatment Plant
Watts Rd
BRUKUNGA SA 5252