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Beach Report 2007–08

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Beach Report 2007–08 INFORMATION BULLETIN BEACH REPORT 2007–08 Publication 1240 June 2008 SUMMARY EPA Victoria found good water quality at Port Phillip HOW CAN YOU Bay beaches over the 2007—08 Beach Report season. PREVENT BEACH POLLUTION? All beaches met the objectives for beach water quality in 2007—08. This reflected the mostly fine weather Pollutants from our streets can enter stormwater drains and be over summer. transported to our waterways after rain, ending up at your local beach. Use these tips to help protect bay beaches: EPA provides information about beach water quality as part of the Beach Report program. We collect • Put litter in a bin weekly water samples during summer in order to • Report sewer spills and blockages provide up-to-date information about beaches in Port • Pick up dog droppings Phillip Bay and to support beach water quality forecasting. • Regularly maintain septic tanks Historical results show that rain can temporarily cause • Only rainwater should go down stormwater drains! poor water quality at bay beaches. As a general precaution, EPA advises against swimming near stormwater drains, rivers, streams and other outlets into Port Phillip Bay during rainfall and for at least 24 hours afterward. EPA will continue monitoring beach water quality throughout 2008 in response to the community’s interest in comprehensive and up-to-date information. WHY DO WE MONITOR? Beach Report provides the latest information on water quality so that beachgoers can make informed decisions about visiting bay beaches. The program aims to: • provide information to the public about beach water quality • identify short-term pollution problems • look for long-term changes in water quality • provide the data necessary to support beach water quality forecasting. The data collected assists EPA and local councils in responding to pollution incidents when they occur and in identifying areas for improved stormwater Photo 1: Cigarette butts comprise management. over 50% of all litter at the beach (Image courtesy of Victorian Litter Alliance) WHAT DO WE MONITOR? these bacteria as the best indicator for recreational EPA monitors levels of enterococci (measured in water quality in marine environments. organisms/100 mL), a group of bacteria found in the Bacterial indicators are an effective way to gauge intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals. Elevated recreational water quality at the bay’s beaches and levels of enterococci are a sign of possible faecal assess the potential health risks associated with pollution. The World Health Organisation and the swimming. The Beach Report sampling methods are National Health & Medical Research Council recognise outlined in Appendix 4. 1 BEACH REPORT 2007–08 Figure 1: Beaches sampled in the Beach Report program (LSC – Life saving club CG – Coast Guard) HOW WAS THE WATER? stormwater system, it can wash pollutants into the nearest waterway and onto the local beach. EPA monitored 36 beaches across Port Phillip Bay (see EPA uses rainfall information from Bureau of Figure 1) from 1 December 2007 to the Labour Day Meteorology automated weather stations located at weekend, 10 March 2008. During this period EPA Avalon, Laverton, Melbourne, Moorabbin and collected over 500 water samples. Cerberus. The results are detailed in Appendix 6. This summer, water quality at beaches around Port Monthly rainfall totals were typically lower than the Phillip Bay was generally good during fine weather. historical average, except for December. Much of Similarly to previous years, poor water quality was December’s rain fell on the weekend before Christmas. often found after rain. EPA issued a stormwater alert on 20 December 2007. Short-term water quality These alerts remind the community about the effects of stormwater on beach water quality and to avoid Short-term water quality refers to the bacterial levels swimming near drains after rain. on any given day. Figure 2 provides a summary of the routine monitoring results from 2007—08 compared to the past four years. It shows that good water quality was commonly found 2003-04 at Port Phillip Bay beaches over the 2007—08 Beach Report season. This reflected the mostly fine weather 2004-05 over summer. On four occasions poor water quality was detected 2005-06 (see highlighted results in Table 3). One of these (7 February 2008) was associated with rainfall. In all 2006-07 cases of elevated bacterial levels, EPA conducted a site inspection and continued sampling until water quality returned to normal. All follow-up samples 2007-08 reported low bacterial levels the next day. 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% If enterococci levels exceed 500 orgs/100 mL in consecutive daily samples or are above Percentage of routine samples 3500 orgs/100 mL in a single sample, EPA works with the Department of Human Services and local Figure 2: Summary of routine enterococci results government to advise against swimming at that beach. for the last five years. No such advisories occurred this summer. Rainfall and wet-weather trends ≤35 orgs/100 mL >35 to ≤150 orgs/100 mL There is a strong relationship between rainfall and >150 to ≤500 orgs/100 mL >500 orgs/100 mL poor beach water quality. When rain enters the 2 BEACH REPORT 2007–08 As a general rule, EPA recommends against swimming Environment Protection Policy (Waters of Victoria) near stormwater drains, rivers and other outlets into Port 2003. These are as follows: Phillip Bay, especially during and 24 hours after rain. • a median of 35 enterococci/100 mL Water quality forecasting • a 75th percentile of 150 enterococci/100 mL. EPA issues beach water quality forecasts every day This summer all beaches met the objectives. during summer. The forecasts use recent sample results, beach history and weather conditions to If data from the past five years is combined, overall assign a rating of Good, Fair, Poor or Unacceptable for bacterial levels were low at all beaches, except for each beach (see Appendix 5). Altona beach which was slightly over the median policy objective (36 enterococci/100 mL) (see The most important factor is rainfall, due to known Appendix 1). effects of stormwater run-off on water quality. There is also the option to adjust forecasts using beach Long-term water quality observations or pollution reports. Prior to 2002—03, Escherichia coli (E.coli) was the This summer the forecasts were generally successful principal water quality indicator for recreational in predicting overall beach water quality, with the waters in Port Phillip Bay. Based on new research, forecasts usually more conservative (predicting poorer enterococci levels are now used as the preferred water quality) than the actual measurements. indicator in marine waters. Monitoring of E.coli is still maintained at five sites around the bay to continue the EPA is actively improving the accuracy of the long-term data set. forecasts by updating the mathematical model on which the predictions are based and continued EPA now has 19 years of summer monitoring data for surveying of specific beaches. E.coli. Figure 3 shows the long-term water quality trends at Eastern Beach, Altona, St Kilda, Rye and (for Summer trends 1997—98 to 2007—08 only) Mentone. The summer average refers to the overall water While the overall trend is generally steady, the graph quality at each beach rather than an individual day. It shows considerable annual variability in E.coli levels. is a measure of the prevailing water quality conditions across the summer period, as opposed to single events. The Policy specifies a median objective for E.coli of 150 orgs/100 mL, which was met for the 2007—08 EPA assesses the results against the objectives for summer. primary contact recreation outlined in the State 300 St Kilda Eastern Beach 250 Altona Rye Mentone /100mL) 200 E.coli 150 2003 Policy Objective 100 Annual median ( Annual 50 0 1989/90 1990/91 1991/92 1992/93 1993/94 1994/95 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 Figure 3: Annual median (E.coli orgs/100 mL) for St Kilda, Altona, Eastern Beach, Mentone and Rye from 1989—90 to 2007—08. Note: Annual relationships are indicative only, due to variations in the program sampling and methods over the past 19 years. 3 BEACH REPORT 2007–08 Photo 2: Stormwater drains are common at many beaches in Port Phillip Bay. EPA advises against swimming near stormwater drains, rivers, streams and other outlets into Port Phillip Bay during rainfall and for at least 24 hours afterward. Beach classifications primary outcome of this work was to develop the preferred method for sanitary inspection of priority Beach water quality assessment is guided by the 2003 beaches. World Health Organisation (WHO) and the 2008 National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) During wet weather it is clear that stormwater is the Guidelines. Both organisations recommend a similar major contributing factor to poor water quality. Such risk management approach for the classification of relationships between water quality and possible recreational waters. sources of impact are not as apparent during fine weather, when sources can be unpredictable, short- The classification is based on two factors: lived and difficult to pinpoint. • microbiological water quality monitoring (long- EPA is committed to continuing sanitary surveys and term bacterial levels) working together with local councils, other authorities • sanitary inspections (the potential for and the community to further understand factors contamination by faecal material). affecting beach water quality. Appendix 3 shows the long-term bacterial levels over the past five years. The values displayed are 95th CONCLUSIONS percentiles, as recommended by the WHO and NHMRC guidelines. The colour coding is the microbial EPA found mostly good water quality at Port Phillip assessment category (A, B, C or D in decreasing order Bay beaches over the 2007—08 Beach Report season.
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