Beach classification
The beach classifications are a long term assessment of the susceptibility of a beach to faecal pollution using a combination of sanitary inspection (identification and rating of potential pollution sources at a beach) and water quality measurements gathered over previous years.
Swimming locations are graded from very good to very poor according to the beach classification matrix, using the sanitary inspection category and microbial assessment category, to indicate their suitability for swimming.
Microbial Assessment Category (MAC) |
A (<41) | B (41-200) | C (201-500) | D (>500) |
Sanitary Inspection Category (SIC) | Very Low | Very good | Very good | Follow up | Follow up |
| Low | Very good | Good | Follow up | Follow up |
| Moderate | Good | Good | Poor | Poor |
| High | Good | Fair | Poor | Very poor |
| Very High | Follow up | Fair | Poor | Very poor |
What do beach grades mean?
There are five beach grades - Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor or Very Poor. These are colour-coded using a traffic light approach, with green representing areas where it is safer to swim and red representing areas where there is a higher risk. The grades are defined below.
Green | Very good | Location has generally excellent microbial water quality and very few potential sources of faecal pollution. Water is considered suitable for swimming for almost all of the time. |
Good | Location has generally good microbial water quality and water is considered suitable for swimming for most of the time. Swimming should be avoided during and for up to one day following heavy rain at ocean beaches and up to three days at estuarine sites. |
Amber | Fair | Microbial water quality is generally suitable for swimming, but due to the presence of significant sources of faecal contamination, extra care should be taken to avoid swimming during and for up to three days following rainfall or if there are signs of pollution such as discoloured water, odour, or debris in the water. |
Red | Poor | Location is susceptible to faecal pollution and microbial water quality is not always suitable for swimming. During dry weather conditions, ensure that the swimming location is free of signs of pollution, such as discoloured water, odour or debris in the water, and avoid swimming at all times during and for up to three days following rainfall. |
Very poor | Location is very susceptible to faecal pollution and microbial water quality may often be unsuitable for swimming. It is recommended to avoid swimming at this site. |
The classifications do not represent water quality on a particular day. They tend to reflect the poorest water quality measured at a beach rather than the average water quality. A beach may be graded as Poor but still be suitable for swimming for a proportion of the time.
How often are beach grades assigned?
Beach grades are assigned in October each year, with sanitary inspections of the catchment conducted to determine if any of the pollution sources have changed, using the most recent water quality data.
Page last updated: 08 March 2011
