Just four ocean beaches in all of New South Wales have been found to have poor water quality – but one is the very popular Coogee beach, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
According to an annual State of the Beaches report by the state government, 207 of the 248 sites assessed (83%) were graded as good or very good – stable since 2013, and up from 81% in 2012-13.
Only one was classified as very poor: Foreshore beach in Botany Bay, an estuarine beach that was often suitable for swimming but was “very susceptible to faecal pollution” from overflowing sewage discharge into a nearby creek.
The proportion of good or very good was higher for ocean beaches in NSW, with 97% of 140 sites found to be suitable for swimming most or almost all of the time.
Four ocean beaches were graded as poor, meaning they were “susceptible to faecal pollution and ... not always suitable for swimming”: Terrigal and Avoca beaches on the Central Coast, and Coogee and Malabar in Sydney.
The water quality of Coogee beach was downgraded from good to poor after it was found to be “susceptible to faecal pollution”, frequently exceeding the safe limit for swimming after 20mm of rainfall or more.
Coogee’s new classification “did not significantly increase the risk to public health”, but reflected frequent rainfall during the assessment period.
Malabar beach was also found to be “susceptible to faecal pollution”, and sometimes exceeded the safe swimming limit after little or no rain and regularly after 5mm or more of rainfall.
Rod Kerr, the strategy manager at Sydney Water, said the water quality at both beaches had been heavily affected by severe and frequent rainfalls.
He said the report’s findings showed that Sydney’s ocean beaches were, overwhelmingly, “excellent”.
“That’s a great result and testament to the resilience of our beaches despite the intense rainfall. It also shows the benefit of all the investment put into our state’s infrastructure.
“To say that we have a widespread problem with our waterway is scaremongering and irresponsible.”
He singled out the Daily Telegraph’s report, which inferred that the faecal pollution was from humans. In fact, the bacteria found in the tests is present in the waste of all warm-blooded animals and is carried by stormwater off roads, gardens and parks.
Nearby beaches in Clovelly, Bronte and Bondi were found to be stable and in very good or good condition. The best beaches in central Sydney were Clovelly, Maroubra and Nielsen Park.
Rainfall was the biggest contributor of pollution to recreational waters, and 13 swimming sites were downgraded this year as a result of water quality samples from the wet summer and significant rainfall.
Many coastal areas assessed had experienced their wettest January on record.
A report by Deloitte last month found the Deepwater Ocean Outfall program introduced 25 years ago to improve beach water quality in Sydney had provided about $2bn in social value to residents.
The $300m investment made in 1991 by Sydney Water in the three deep ocean outfalls at North Head, Malabar and Bondi was found to have avoided illnesses for around 180,000 beach users each year, as well as increasing tourism and economic activity.
More than $129m has been committed to improve the city’s wastewater system and reduce its impact on swimming areas into next year.
The NSW government’s Beachwatch program monitors water quality of beaches and other swimming locations.
Forecasts advising when and where it is safe to swim are provided daily for sites in the Hunter, central coast, Sydney and Illawarra regions at the Beachwatch website and on Twitter and Facebook.
