Responding to AGL’s draft water management strategy released earlier this year, MidCoast Water said avoiding river discharges was one of the main points of its submission.

It has recommended AGL either extend its proposed irrigation area or increase storage capacity to reduce discharges to the Avon River and maximise reuse opportunities.

“We do not agree with the idea that such a discharge would improve water quality in the river and maintain environmental flows,” MidCoast Water chief executive Robert Loadsman said.

“We strongly oppose the idea of using waterways as transportation routes for recycled water - such water has to be transported by pipelines.”

AGL has indicated extracted water from its coal seam gas operations will include up to 730 million litres of a mixture of produced water and flow back water per year from stage one of its Gloucester Gas Project.

MidCoast Water has also been critical of the proposed discharge point location and dilution factor indicated in AGL’s proposed strategy, where it is proposed up to 1.5 million litres of treated water per day would be discharged into Dog Trap Creek during wet weather when irrigation was not possible.

“We believe it is highly unlikely that such a small tributary can accept this volume of discharge without adversely impacting on the creek,” Mr Loadsman said.

MidCoast Water has recommended either moving the discharge point or an acceptable dilution factor for Dog Trap Creek.

The monitoring plan presented by AGL has also been found wanting by the water authority and in some cases “highly inadequate”, Mr Loadsman said.

“Water quality monitoring is proposed on a quarterly basis which in our opinion is highly inadequate - we believe the discharge water pond should be sampled much more frequently and the location of sampling points should be reviewed to adequately monitor the performance of the reverse osmosis treatment,” he said.

In a response to MidCoast Water’s submission, AGL said feedback from the draft water management strategy was currently being considered as part of the final document’s preparation.

“In regards to desalinated water being discharged into local river systems, as the strategy stated, such discharges would only be made during periods of high rainfall and this desalinated water would only represent a very small addition, less than one percent, to the average annual flow of the Avon River of approximately 110,000 million litres,” a spokeswoman said.

“As well, any discharges would be managed in accordance with the necessary EPA and NSW Office of Water approvals. 

“While MidCoast Water has its opinions about this component of the strategy, other downstream users have indicated support for this.”

- Meanwhile, AGL has launched a new online water portal for the company’s coal seam gas projects in NSW.

The portal will enable members of the community to check the levels and quality of surface and groundwater in the areas around AGL’s Camden, Hunter and Gloucester gas projects by simply visiting the company’s website. 

The portal includes data from 86 surface and groundwater monitoring points.

Some of the monitoring points include daily live data on the water level, electrical conductivity - a key measure of salinity - and recent water quality. 

Viewers will also be able to see 360-degree photos of the landscape near monitoring sites and up-to-date weather information at Gloucester and in the Hunter.

“For Gloucester in particular, the community can monitor groundwater before, during and after exploration projects such as the Waukivory Pilot,” AGL’s manager of hydrogeology John Ross said.