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Beach Report 2009–10

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Beach Report 2009–10 ENVIRONMENT REPORT BEACH REPORT 2009–10 Publication 1345 June 2010 SUMMARY WHAT DO WE MONITOR? EPA Victoria generally found good water quality at Port EPA monitors levels of enterococci (measured in Phillip Bay beaches over the 2009—10 Beach Report organisms/100 mL), a group of bacteria found in the season. The majority of results met EPA’s short-term intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals. Elevated water quality triggers and summer season water quality levels of enterococci are a sign of possible faecal objectives for primary contact (in other words, swimming, pollution. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and diving or surfing). This reflected the mostly fine weather the National Health and Medical Research Council over summer. Stormwater run-off after rainfall and (NHMRC) recognise these bacteria as the best localised catchment sources (on fine days) affected indicator for primary-contact (swimming, diving or the assessed beach quality on a small number of days. surfing) recreational water quality in marine 1 Long-term, beach water quality at the 36 monitored environments . beaches remains very good. Historical results reinforce the pattern of rain temporarily causing 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 afterwards. Weekly water quality results and daily water quality forecasts are reported in major daily newspapers and on EPA’s website, www.epa.vic.gov.au/BeachReport. EPA’S BEACH REPORT PROGRAM The Beach Report program provides information to the community about forecast beach water quality. It is supported by weekly monitoring of water quality. Photograph 1: A busy day at the beach. Where monitoring identifies poor water quality, EPA provides advice to the community. WHY DO WE MONITOR? HOW CAN YOU PREVENT BEACH POLLUTION? Beach Report provides the latest information on water Pollutants from our streets can enter stormwater drains and be quality so that beachgoers can make informed transported to our waterways after rain, ending up at your local decisions about visiting bay beaches. beach. To help protect bay beaches you can: The program aims to: • put litter in a bin (including cigarette butts) • provide information to the public about beach • report sewer spills and blockages water quality • pick up dog droppings and put in a bin • identify short-term pollution problems • regularly maintain septic tanks • look for long-term changes in water quality • make sure that only rainwater goes down stormwater • provide the data necessary to support beach water drains. quality forecasting. The data collected assists EPA and local councils to respond effectively to pollution incidents when they occur and identify areas for improved stormwater management. Beach Report also highlights actions the wider community can take to protect bay beaches. 1 Beach Reports before the 2008—09 and 2009—10 summers have also reported E. coli levels. With a sufficient history of enterococci monitoring For further information go to: now available and the NHMRC Guidelines recognising enterococci as a www.epa.vic.gov.au/BeachReport better indicator for primary recreation in marine waters, E. coli will no longer be reported. 1 BEACH REPORT 2009–10 Figure 1: Beaches sampled in the Beach Report program (LSC — Life saving club; CG — Coast Guard). HOW DO WE ASSESS BEACH WATER FORECASTING BEACH WATER QUALITY QUALITY? EPA issued beach water quality forecasts for each of Short-term water quality is assessed against an the 36 monitored beaches every day during summer investigation level and short-term human health level (30 November 2009 to 8 March 2010). The forecasts trigger. These trigger levels were derived from use weather conditions, beach history and recent National Health and Medical Research Council sample results to assign a rating of Good, Fair or Poor (NHMRC) 2008 guidelines and from historical for each beach. An Unacceptable rating is assigned to monitoring of beaches in Port Phillip Bay. EPA a beach if EPA issues a swim advisory. undertakes resampling if any results are over the The water quality forecasts are predictions based investigation trigger value of 500 enterococci/100 mL. principally on rainfall. When rain enters the A site investigation is commenced if bacterial levels stormwater system it can wash pollutants into the are over the investigation trigger during dry weather nearest waterway and onto the local beach. The (refer to the ‘Site investigations’ section below). EPA forecasts cannot predict the effect of localised works closely with local councils during these sources of contamination (such as a leak from a public investigations. toilet block) on water quality. EPA advises beach users against swimming by issuing Stormwater alerts were issued for all beaches for 2 a ‘swim advisory’ if any site has two consecutive daily January, 5 February and 5 to 8 March 2010, and were results over the investigation trigger value, or any site based on Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has a single sample over the short-term human health forecasts of heavy rain. As stormwater from drains, level trigger (3500 enterococci/100 mL) that is not rivers and streams entering the Bay is the major factor linked to rain2. EPA works with the Department of affecting beach water quality, beachgoers were Health, Victoria (DH) and local government to advised to avoid swimming at the 36 monitored communicate such advisories. beaches across Port Phillip Bay. Beach users were also advised of debris, including litter and tree branches, Water quality for the 2009–10 summer season and that could be washed onto beaches and into the bay long-term water quality are assessed against the State via the stormwater system. Environment Protection Policy (Waters of Victoria) 2003 [SEPP (WoV)] objective for primary contact EPA is continually improving the accuracy of the recreation (75th percentile ≤150 enterococci/100 mL). forecasts by testing the model on which the predictions are based against weekly monitoring results. 2 Water quality forecasts and general advice to beach users are used to alert users to water quality impacts associated with rain. 2 BEACH REPORT 2009–10 HOW WAS THE WATER QUALITY? When elevated bacterial levels were found during dry weather, EPA conducted a site inspection and EPA monitored 36 beaches across Port Phillip Bay (see continued sampling until water quality returned to Figure 1) from 23 November 2009 to 1 March 2010. normal. All follow-up samples reported low bacterial Weekly samples were collected each Monday morning, levels the next day. and over the season 540 water samples were The number of bacterial results in 2009–10 that were collected. over the investigation trigger (>500 orgs/100 mL) was This summer, water quality at beaches around Port higher than in the previous summer. This was due to Phillip Bay was generally good during fine weather. heavy rain at the end of November (refer to figure 3) Similarly to previous years, higher bacterial levels flushing out stormwater drains after an extended were often associated with stormwater run-off after period of warm weather. rain. In addition, localised catchment sources also affected water quality on some dry-weather days. 100 450 Rainfall (mm) 90 Short-term water quality Enterococcci (org/100 mL) 400 80 350 ‘Short-term water quality’ refers to the bacterial levels 70 on any given day or week. Figure 2 provides a 300 60 summary of the routine monitoring results from 2009– 250 50 10 compared to the past four years. It shows that the 200 majority of beaches over the 2009–10 Beach Report 40 150 30 season had good water quality, with beaches mL) (org/100 beaches Monthly Rainfall (mm) 100 commonly having bacterial levels below the limit of 20 detection (<10 orgs/100 mL) or below the investigation 10 50 bay at enterococci Monthly Average trigger (≤500 orgs/100 mL). The mostly fine weather 0 0 over this summer contributed to the good beach water November December January February quality observed. Figure 3: Monthly rainfall (average of five sites: Avalon, Cerberus, Laverton, Melbourne, Moorabbin) and average monthly enterococci levels across bay 2005-06 beaches during the 2009–10 Beach Report season. 2006-07 Summer season water quality 2007-08 ‘Summer season water quality’ refers to the overall water quality over the summer at each beach, rather 2008-09 than water quality on an individual day. It is a measure of the prevailing water quality conditions across the 2009-10 summer period, rather than single events. EPA assesses overall water quality for the summer 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% season against the SEPP (WoV) 75th percentile Percent of routine samples objective for primary-contact recreation. All beaches except Mentone and Altona met this objective during Figure 2: Summary of routine enterococci results the 2009–10 summer season (see Appendix 2). These for the last five years. two beaches only slightly exceeded the objective. The results may reflect the greater number of Below detection limit <10 org/100 mL stormwater drains at Mentone and Altona, resulting in Below investigation trigger 10–500 org/100 mL elevated enterococci levels from stormwater run-off after rain. Above investigation trigger >500 org/100 mL Long-term water quality The majority of bacterial results over the investigation Long-term trends in water quality are assessed by trigger in the 2009–10 summer were due to comparisons of yearly 75th percentiles against the stormwater run-off after rain (see highlighted results SEPP (WoV) 75th percentile objective for primary- in Appendix 1). Only a small number of results over the contact recreation. Beach water quality over the last trigger occurred during fine weather, and were five years has been good, with the majority of beaches associated with localised catchment sources (refer to consistently meeting the SEPP (WoV) objective.
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