--- title: Lakes and rivers water quality samples, ACT resource: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/ publisher: Office of Water, City and Environment Directorate licence: CC BY 3.0 AU licence_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/ version: 2026-01-19 rows: 31850 fields: 9 source: https://www.data.act.gov.au/api/views/kcii-s5em/rows.csv?accessType=DOWNLOAD source_sha256: c1495deb43dcd71f3fa24fcc71456cd18087d85ab756f35a012b7b97629a4f08 language: en-AU operator: National Digital not_endorsed: true --- # Lakes and rivers water quality samples, ACT Water quality samples from the ACT Government's lakes and rivers monitoring program since 2015, one row per measurement with the site, depth, analyte, value and unit. Published by Office of Water, City and Environment Directorate under CC BY 3.0 AU and republished here in other formats, with cells typed and suppressed values made null. Office of Water, City and Environment Directorate has not endorsed this site. Also called: ACT Lakes and Rivers Water Quality, Lake Ginninderra and Lake Tuggeranong water quality data, Murrumbidgee and Molonglo water quality samples. ## Download Latest version, redirects to `https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/v/2026-01-19/`: - csv: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/latest/data.csv (3.6 MB) - xlsx: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/latest/data.xlsx (1.2 MB) - json: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/latest/data.json (6.5 MB) - geojson: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/latest/data.geojson (9.6 MB) - parquet: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/latest/data.parquet (89 KB) - sqlite: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/latest/data.sqlite (3.4 MB) - duckdb: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/latest/data.duckdb (400 KB) - gpkg: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/latest/data.gpkg (5.6 MB) - geo.parquet: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/latest/data.geo.parquet (98 KB) - ndjson: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/latest/data.ndjson (6.4 MB) - arrow: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/latest/data.arrow (618 KB) - csv.gz: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/latest/data.csv.gz (248 KB) Pinned version 2026-01-19: `https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/v/2026-01-19/data.`. Dated versions never change. ## Query The query API returns only the rows you ask for, as JSON, NDJSON or CSV, from the same typed rows as the files. It needs no key. Rows: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/rows. Counts and sums: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/aggregate. - Rows: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/rows?limit=5 - Aggregate: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/aggregate?group=sitename&metric=count Each filter is `field=operator.value` in the query string, and every filter must match. A number or date field compares as a number or date, and a text field compares as text. Values are case-sensitive except with `ilike`. Prefix `not.` to negate a filter, as `not.eq.value`. Operators: `eq.value`, `neq.value`, `gt.value`, `gte.value`, `lt.value`, `lte.value`, `like.*text*`, `ilike.*text*`, `in.(a,b,c)`, `is.null`. - `select`: Fields to return, comma-separated. Every field when absent. - `order`: `field.asc` or `field.desc`, comma-separated. The publisher's row order when absent. - `limit`: Rows per page, 1 to 10,000. 100 when absent. - `offset`: Rows to skip. The `next` URL in each answer sets it for you. - `group`: On `aggregate`, fields to group by, comma-separated. - `metric`: On `aggregate`, `count`, `sum.field`, `avg.field`, `min.field` or `max.field`, comma-separated. `count` when absent. - `format`: `json`, `ndjson` or `csv`. JSON carries the provenance header, and the others carry it in response headers. Without a version the API answers from the newest loaded version, and that answer changes when the publisher releases again. Put `versions//` before `rows` or `aggregate` for an answer that never changes. `/api/v1/datasets//versions` lists the loaded versions. The API allows 60 requests in 10 seconds from one address. Above that it answers 429 for 10 seconds with a `Retry-After` header, a `RateLimit-Policy` header and a JSON body that gives the limit. Every API answer carries the same `RateLimit-Policy`. A client should wait the `Retry-After` seconds, or read the files, which have no limit. OpenAPI for this dataset: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/openapi.json ## Explore Charts and dashboards in the browser: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/explore/. A dashboard can be shared as a link or embedded. ## Smaller files - by `siteid`: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/v/2026-01-19/by/siteid/index.json lists 21 files ## Fields | field | type | publisher's header | note | |---|---|---|---| | `date` | datetime | Date | The publisher says the time of day is not accurate. | | `siteid` | string | SiteID | | | `sitename` | string | SiteName | | | `latitude` | number | Latitude | | | `longitude` | number | Longitude | | | `depth` | string | Depth | Metres below the surface, or S, B or T for a surface, bottom or depth-integrated tube sample. | | `variable` | string | Variable | | | `value` | string | Value | Text, so a value the publisher marks as below or above the limit of detection keeps its sign. | | `unit` | string | Unit | | ## Versions - 2026-01-19: 31850 rows, 9 fields, sha256 c1495deb43dc. https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/v/2026-01-19/ Machine-readable: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/versions.json, https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/changes.json, https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/datapackage.json, https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/schema.json, https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/history.tar.zst ## Same subject, other publishers - [Recreational lakes and rivers water quality, ACT, 2019-20 season](https://publicdata.au/d/act-recreational-water-quality-2019-20/) (ACT) - [Recreational lakes and rivers water quality, ACT, 2018-19 season](https://publicdata.au/d/act-recreational-water-quality-2018-19/) (ACT) - [Beach Report enterococci samples, Port Phillip Bay, since 2013](https://publicdata.au/d/vic-beach-report-enterococci/) (Vic) - [Air quality monitoring by hour, ACT](https://publicdata.au/d/act-air-quality/) (ACT) - [Beachwatch swim sites with pollution forecasts and latest water quality, New South Wales](https://publicdata.au/d/nsw-beachwatch-sites/) (NSW) - [Open surface water gauging stations, Queensland](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-surface-water-gauging-stations/) (Qld) - [River Murray predicted flood extent at 100 GL a day, South Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/sa-river-murray-flood-100gl/) (SA) - [River Murray predicted flood extent at 160 GL a day, South Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/sa-river-murray-flood-160gl/) (SA) - [River Murray predicted flood extent at 140 GL a day, South Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/sa-river-murray-flood-140gl/) (SA) - [River Murray predicted flood extent at 180 GL a day, South Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/sa-river-murray-flood-180gl/) (SA) - [River Murray predicted flood extent at 341 GL a day, South Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/sa-river-murray-flood-341gl/) (SA) - [River Murray predicted flood extent at 130 GL a day, South Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/sa-river-murray-flood-130gl/) (SA) ## Attribution and citation Office of Water, ACT Government, ACT Lakes and Rivers Water Quality, https://www.data.act.gov.au/d/kcii-s5em, accessed 3 October 2026, licensed under CC BY 3.0 AU. The licence requires the publisher's attribution. We ask that you also name publicdata.au and link to the version you used. Plain text: Office of Water, ACT Government, ACT Lakes and Rivers Water Quality, https://www.data.act.gov.au/d/kcii-s5em, accessed 3 October 2026, licensed under CC BY 3.0 AU. Serialised and versioned by National Digital at publicdata.au, https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/v/2026-01-19/ Harvard: Office of Water, City and Environment Directorate (2026) Lakes and rivers water quality samples, ACT, version 2026-01-19 [data set], CC BY 3.0 AU, sourced 3 October 2026. Serialised and versioned by National Digital at publicdata.au. Available at: https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/v/2026-01-19/ Markdown: Data: [Lakes and rivers water quality samples, ACT](https://www.data.act.gov.au/d/kcii-s5em), Office of Water, City and Environment Directorate, [CC BY 3.0 AU](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/), sourced 3 October 2026. Files: [publicdata.au](https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/v/2026-01-19/) by [National Digital](https://nationaldigital.com.au/). ## Questions ### How do I download Lakes and rivers water quality samples as a CSV file? Open https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/latest/data.csv. It redirects to the newest dated version, which is https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/v/2026-01-19/data.csv today. The same path serves Excel, JSON, GeoJSON, Parquet, SQLite, DuckDB, GeoPackage, GeoParquet, NDJSON, Arrow. A dated URL never changes, so use it when the file must stay the same. ### Can I open Lakes and rivers water quality samples in Excel? Yes. https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/v/2026-01-19/data.xlsx is a workbook with the 31,850 rows on a records sheet, the field list on a second sheet and the provenance on a third. The CSV also opens in Excel. https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/v/2026-01-19/data.csv.gz is the CSV at about a tenth of the size. ### What years does Lakes and rivers water quality samples cover? The current version covers 2015 to 2024. Each release from Office of Water becomes a new dated version here, and earlier versions stay online. ### How often is Lakes and rivers water quality samples updated? Office of Water releases it yearly. This site checks the portal every week and adds a dated version when the file changes. ### Can I use Lakes and rivers water quality samples commercially? Yes. CC BY 3.0 AU allows commercial use, redistribution and derived works as long as the attribution is kept. The attribution string is in this page's side column and inside every file. ### Is this the official source for Lakes and rivers water quality samples? No. The publisher is Office of Water, City and Environment Directorate, and its page is https://www.data.act.gov.au/d/kcii-s5em. This site republishes the publisher's file without changing its content. The original sits beside every version as source.csv with its SHA-256, so the two can be compared. ### How do I get only the rows for one siteid? Every version has one JSON file per value of siteid, 21 files in the current version, listed with row counts at https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/v/2026-01-19/by/siteid/index.json. For example https://publicdata.au/d/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality/v/2026-01-19/by/siteid/bjk102.json holds the 3,329 rows where siteid is BJK102. A GeoJSON file sits beside each one. ### What coordinate system does Lakes and rivers water quality samples use? Longitude and latitude in decimal degrees as published. The publisher does not name the datum; GDA94 differs from GDA2020 and WGS84 by under 2 metres. The GeoJSON file uses the same coordinates, which is what GeoJSON expects. ### What is in each row? One measurement of one analyte in one sample, with the date, the site code and name, the site's coordinates, the depth or sample type, the analyte, the value and its unit. ### What do the less than and greater than values mean? The publisher writes a value outside the laboratory's limit of detection with a less than or greater than sign. The value is kept as text so those signs survive. ### How often are sites sampled? The publisher samples 20 sites in the ACT and one in Burrinjuck Reservoir six to eight times a year, in rivers, creeks, urban lakes and ponds. In lakes a probe takes a depth profile from the surface to the bottom. ## What this site did to the data Cells were typed, headers were renamed to snake_case and the encoding was made UTF-8. Rows were left alone. Nothing is derived. The publisher's file is beside every version as `source.csv`. ## Improve this dataset This page is built from [register/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality.yaml](https://github.com/National-Digital/publicdata.au/blob/main/register/act-lakes-rivers-water-quality.yaml) on GitHub, and a fix to it is welcome as a pull request. https://publicdata.au/contribute/ explains how.