Water quality monitoring

Water quality, or stream health monitoring is a key focus for Ku-ring-gai.

Council staff regularly test a number of sites throughout the area to identify and track physical and chemical condition, bacterial contamination and the presence of water bugs (macroinvertebrates).

For more information about our testing processes and what the grades indicate, please read The Water Quality and Macroinvertebrate Background Report(PDF, 5MB).

Water quality monitoring data for all years from 1998-2019 can be found here Stream Health Data 1998-2023.(PDF, 553KB)

Water quality report card - Autumn 2024(PDF, 3MB)

Water quality report card - Spring 2023 (updated)(PDF, 3MB)

Water quality report score card - Autumn 2023(PDF, 3MB)

Water quality report cards 2015-2021(PDF, 28MB)

Helping monitor our waterways

Our Streamwatch program includes local volunteers helping us undertake ecological investigation of local waterways. It acts as an early warning system for pollution events and the data provides a valuable record of waterway health. They have helped identify water quality issues such as greywater system leakages, new waterweed incursions and litter and pollution events from industrial run off.