Jackson Reed, Krishna K C Bal, Li Miao, Sathasivan Arumugam, Senevirathna Lalantha
School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW, Australia.
School of Engineering Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia.
Sci Rep. 2024 Jul 13;14(1):16222. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-66884-3.
Over the past decade, escalating extreme weather events have significantly affected New South Wales (NSW), Australia, with unprecedented droughts and intense fires. Yet, the impact on water quality and purification processes remains insufficiently studied. This research focuses on the immediate changes in NSW's environmental water quality and issues in water purification unit operations following the 2019 bushfires. Water samples and maintenance records from affected catchments, intakes, purification units, and reservoirs were analysed. Compared to control samples, post-bushfire water exhibited high turbidity. Sediment and ash shock loads posed significant threats to aquatic ecosystems. Elevated turbidity, suspended sediments, pH, and alkalinity were major concerns for water purification. Raw water samples showed turbidity exceeding 195 NTU, with flocculation and sedimentation most impacted. Immediate measures included sediment traps, aeration, pre-chlorination, and inline monitoring. These findings inform strategies to mitigate bushfire impacts on water quality and optimise water purification in fire-prone regions.
在过去十年中，不断升级的极端天气事件对澳大利亚新南威尔士州（NSW）产生了重大影响，出现了前所未有的干旱和严重火灾。然而，对水质和净化过程的影响仍未得到充分研究。本研究聚焦于2019年丛林大火后新南威尔士州环境水质的即时变化以及水净化单元运行中的问题。分析了来自受影响集水区、取水口、净化单元和水库的水样及维护记录。与对照样本相比，丛林大火后的水浊度很高。沉积物和灰烬冲击负荷对水生生态系统构成了重大威胁。浊度升高、悬浮沉积物、pH值和碱度是水净化的主要问题。原水样本的浊度超过195 NTU，其中絮凝和沉淀受到的影响最大。即时措施包括设置沉积物捕集器、曝气、预氯化和在线监测。这些发现为减轻丛林大火对水质的影响以及优化易发生火灾地区的水净化策略提供了依据。
