The beach classifications are a long-term assessment of the likelihood that a beach will be polluted by faecal matter. It uses a combination of sanitary inspection (identification and rating of potential pollution sources at a beach) and water quality measurements gathered over previous years.
The suitability of sites for swimming is graded from very good to very poor according to the beach classification matrix. This uses the sanitary inspection and microbial assessment categories.
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Beach classification matrix |
Microbial assessment category (MAC) |
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|
A (<41) |
B (41–200) |
C (201–500) |
D (>500) |
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|
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 beach grades mean
There are 5 beach grades: very good, good, fair, poor and very poor. These grades are colour-coded based on traffic light colours – green represents areas where it is safer to swim, and red represents areas where there is a higher risk. The grades are defined in this table.
| 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 heavy rain, and for up to one day at ocean beaches and 3 days at estuarine sites following heavy rain. |
|
|
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 3 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 3 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 beach grades are assigned
Beach grades are assigned in October each year. Sanitary inspections of the catchment are conducted to determine whether any of the pollution sources have changed, and the most recent water quality data is used. Beach grades are published in the annual State of the Beaches report.
