Illawarra Region Beaches
Summary
Although above average rainfall was recorded in the Illawarra region during the 2007-2008 summer season, the Illawarra beaches performed well, with 13 of the 18 beaches monitored recording 100% compliance with Beachwatch criteria for both indicators during the 2007-2008 summer season. This result is a decline on the 2006-2007 summer season, when 17 of the 18 beaches monitored complied 100% with guidelines for both bacteria.
Seventeen of the 18 sites complied more than 80% of the time for both bacterial guidelines. Both Bulli and Corrimal beaches complied 90% of the time with the faecal coliform guidelines. Good enterococci compliance was recorded at Bulli (84%), Bellambi (81%), Corrimal (90%) and Surf Beach (Kiama) (97%) for summer 2007-2008.
Faecal coliform compliance for Entrance Lagoon Beach was good, complying 90% with swimming guidelines. However, enterococci compliance for the summer season was not as good, complying just 57% of the time with the guidelines.
Illawarra's cleanest beaches
The Illawarra's cleanest beaches were Austinmer, Thirroul, Woonona, North Wollongong, Wollongong City, Coniston, Fishermans, Port Kembla, Warilla, Shellharbour, Boyd's Jones, Bombo, and Werri.
Wollongong City Council beaches
Faecal coliform compliance
Nine of the eleven Wollongong City Council beaches recorded 100% compliance with Beachwatch water quality criteria for faecal coliforms (Figure 16). These results are slightly lower than the previous summer season, when all eleven sites recorded perfect compliance. Although compliance at Bulli and Corrimal beaches fell by 10 percentage points from the previous summer, they still performed very well, attaining 90% compliance with faecal coliform guidelines.
Enterococci compliance
Eight of the eleven Wollongong City Council beaches monitored for enterococci complied 100% with Beachwatch criteria for this indicator during summer 2007-2008. Good compliance was recorded at Bulli, Bellambi and Corrimal beaches, despite a drop in compliance from the previous summer season. Bellambi Beach fell nineteen percentage points, Bulli fell by 16 percentage points and Corrimal fell by 10 percentage points.
Shellharbour Council beaches
Faecal coliform compliance
Two of the three Shellharbour Council beaches complied with Beachwatch criteria for faecal coliforms 100% of the time (Figure 16). These results were similar to those reported last summer season.
High compliance with faecal coliform guidelines was also recorded at Entrance Lagoon Beach (90%) during summer 2007-2008.
Enterococci compliance
Two of the three Shellharbour Council beaches also complied with Beachwatch criteria for enterococci 100% of the time (Figure 16).
Entrance Lagoon Beach performed well below the other Shellharbour Council beaches, complying just 57% of the time with the enterococci criteria.
Kiama Council beaches
Faecal coliform compliance
Kiama Council beaches were among the cleanest in the Beachwatch Program, with all four beaches recording 100% compliance with faecal coliform criteria (Figure 16).
Enterococci compliance
Boyd's Jones, Bombo and Werri beaches recorded 100% compliance with enterococci criteria during summer 2007-2008. Surf Beach (Kiama) still performed very well, complying with enterococci criteria 97% of the time during the 2007-2008 summer season.
Plans for improvement
Sydney Water operates three coastal sewage treatment plants in the Illawarra, located at Wollongong, Shellharbour and Bombo.
Bellambi and Port Kembla sewage treatment plants have been converted to specialised storm sewage treatment plants (SSTP) that will store and treat excess wastewater flows during large wet weather events. At Port Kembla SSTP flows are treated to advanced primary level, and flows at Bellambi SSTP are treated to a secondary level with disinfection. The plants do not operate during dry weather.
The Gerringong-Gerroa Sewage Treatment Plant is operated by Veolia Water under a 20-year design, build and operate contract.
The Illawarra Wastewater Strategy has been commissioned to deliver water quality improvements at a number of Illawarra beaches, particularly those near the Bellambi, Wollongong and Port Kembla sewage treatment plants.
The Strategy has ended dry weather discharge from the Bellambi and Port Kembla treatment plants and, through water recycling, it reduces total ocean discharge and saves about 7.3 billion litres of fresh water each year.
The Illawarra Wastewater Strategy involved:
• construction of a water recycling plant at Wollongong sewage treatment plant that produces at least 20 million litres of effluent treated by reverse osmosis to a high standard of quality each day. Under a 15-year agreement the recycled water is used at nearby BlueScope Steel.
• building of a pipeline to transfer wastewater from the Bellambi and Port Kembla catchments to Wollongong sewage treatment plant for high-level (tertiary and ultra violet) treatment and disinfection
• working to improve swimming conditions at Wollongong beaches by stepping up to tertiary treatment and significantly upgrading the existing ocean outfall
• converting Bellambi and Port Kembla sewage treatment plants to specialised storm sewage treatment plants (SSTP) that store and treat wastewater during prolonged wet weather.
The Strategy is now largely commissioned.
Other components of the Illawarra Wastewater Strategy included the amplification of the Shellharbour Sewage Treatment Plant to meet the demands of population growth within the Albion Park and Shellharbour areas up to 2025. Works included the construction of additional grit and primary tanks to allow for increased flows, improvements in sewage treatment processes and modifications to the ocean outfall to improve effluent dispersion. The amplified sewage treatment plant and the ocean outfall works were completed in 2006.
Figure 16: Compliance of Illawarra Beachwatch Sites Summer 2007-2008
Page last updated: 26 February 2011
