It’s going to be 29 degrees today — Melbourne’s first taste of summer — but residents have been urged not to go to the beach because heavy rain and ongoing flooding have contaminated our waterways and washed a shitload of literal sewage downstream.
Maybe go to the pool instead?
The Environmental Protection Authority Victoria issued a warning on Tuesday that no Melbourne beaches around Port Phillip Bay were considered suitable for swimming.
It rated the water quality at 11 beaches, including St Kilda and Elwood beaches, as “poor” and issued pollution warnings for a further 25 sites, particularly along the eastern coast of the bay. The warnings are likely to be in place for at least a week.
Poollution was also detected along the Yarra River in Healesville, Warrandyte and Kew.
Beach Report and Yarra Watch: 11 beaches are rated Poor and 25 beaches are rated Fair. All Four Yarra Watch locations are rated Poor. For more information go to https://t.co/PevzvhHpbl pic.twitter.com/H8AhdbT1nz
— Environment Protection Authority Victoria (@VicGovEPA) November 5, 2022
The EPA launched a water testing operation this week across Victoria’s waterways to test for pathogens like E. coli.
Chief environmental scientist Mark Taylor advised against swimming at all waterways and Melbourne beaches at the moment due to the risk of water-borne bacteria causing gastro and diarrhoea.
“The water quality is not tip-top, we’re encouraging people to stay out until we really see it as clean and presenting as suitable to swim in,” he told Guardian Australia.
“The Yarra River is understandably still poor and it will be until later on into the summer as the effects of floods dissipate.
“[But] I would anticipate if good weather continues we’ll see improvements … as we reach school holidays … beaches will reach suitable levels.”
As we wait for La Niña to (hopefully) leave our shores, use some common sense in the meantime. If it looks like shit and it smells like shit, then you probably shouldn’t swim in it.
