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While the NSW Government’s latest State of the Beaches report has revealed 94% of monitored ocean beaches and 80% of all monitored swimming spots are graded as good or very good, five swimming spots in NSW have been rated as having ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ pollution levels, including Sydney’s popular Coogee beach, after the state experienced its wettest summer in a decade.

The annual report, released by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, provides an overview of water quality at 214 swimming locations across the State, which are monitored under the NSW Government’s Beachwatch and Beachwatch Partnership programs.

The report has five categories of water quality rating: very good, good, fair, poor or very poor.

Coogee is more vulnerable to pollution than other beaches because it is enclosed and has large stormwater pipes going into it. Rainfall is the major driver of pollution in recreational waters, as it generates storm water runoff and triggers discharges from wastewater treatment systems.

Many estuarine, lake and lagoon swimming sites did not perform as well as ocean beaches as they are more susceptible to wet weather impacts

Other swimming spots to receive poor ratings include Sydney’s Rose Bay beaches, Terrigal beach and Toowoon Bay on the central coast, Woolgoolga main beach and Emerald beach on the mid-north coast, and Caseys and Surf beaches on the south coast.

Coogee, Rose Bay, as well as Northbridge and Bayview baths were among those downgraded to having ‘poor’ water quality after being rated as having ‘fair’ or ‘good’ water quality in last year’s report.

Twice the number of beaches, lakes and lagoons have also been exposed to concerning levels of pollution and sewage since 2019, according to the report.

Assessors take samples from ocean beaches once a week throughout the year and from estuarine or harbour beaches once a week between October and April and then between May and September.

A poor rating means the location is “susceptible to faecal pollution and microbial water quality is not always suitable for swimming”.

Enterococci, bacteria found in the human intestines, are what assessors look for when testing sea water. Swimming in polluted water can lead to infections, gastroenteritis and hepatitis A.

With more than 85% of people in NSW living within 50 kilometres of the coast, heading to a local swimming spot is a way of life for many and as such the Beachwatch monitoring program which has been running since 1989, is aimed at providing confidence to the people of NSW.

NSW Minister for Environment James Griffin advised that the NSW Budget has allocated $18.5 million over 10 years to expand the Beachwatch Partnership program.

State of the Beaches 2021-22 found:

• 94% of the 123 ocean beaches were graded as ‘good’ or ‘very good’
• all five ocean baths were graded as ‘good’ or ‘very good’
• 68% of the 69 estuarine swimming sites were graded as ‘good’ or ‘very good’
• 24% of the 17 lake/lagoon swimming sites were graded as ‘good’ or ‘very good’.

The 2021-22 State of the Beaches report can be viewed online.

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