Water quality offsets enable EPA to apply less stringent discharge limits in a wastewater discharge licence than might otherwise be the case, if greater benefits can be achieved through alternative measures. Such measures should result in an improved environmental outcome at a lower cost to the community.
An illustrative example of such an offset occurred in 2016, when Goulburn Valley Water received EPA approval to upgrade its wastewater management facility at Kilmore. It was the first works approval and licence amendment application in Victoria to include water quality offsets.
EPA recognises there is strong interest among water corporations in Victoria in undertaking similar projects, so we have published this detailed case study: Water quality offsets: Goulburn Valley Water Kilmore case study (publication 1690). It explores the measures that contributed to the success of Goulburn Valley Water's application and the lessons that we and they both learned from it.
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This page was copied from EPA's old website. It was last updated on 26 March 2018.
Reviewed 2 September 2020
