The National Outfall Database (NOD) project addresses the need to understand health and ocean environment impacts from sewerage outfalls around Australia. It tracks 48 indicators across 192 monitoring sites, with data available up to 30/06/2022. The dataset is part of an assessment and mapping effort for marine impacts of wastewater disposal, managed by the Australian Ocean Data Network.
Use Cases
- Prioritize infrastructure investment based on outfall location, treatment level, and governance data.
- Assess public health and recreational water quality risks based on environmental monitoring reports.
- Conduct comparative ecosystem studies using detailed daily performance and receiving waters assessment data.
- Model the spatial impact of wastewater disposal using geospatial location data for outfalls.
Strengths
- Data is structured across three levels of detail, from basic information to highly detailed performance and ecosystem studies.
- Tracks 48 indicators across 192 monitoring sites, providing a multi-faceted view of outfall impacts.
- Includes a dedicated online resource and methodology report for full explanation of the database.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Last updated 2026-07-22 02:57:56.085894; freshness should be verified as the latest data point is from mid-2022.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale analysis.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Data collected from publicly available annual environmental monitoring reports, licenses, and other information, intended for the National Outfall Database project.
- Time Range
- Data available up to 30/06/2022.
- Freshness
- Data is updated as new information becomes available; last checked 19/01/2024 with data available to 30/06/2022.
- Geography
- Australia (ocean and estuarine waters around the coast).