Surf Beach

Rating: 3 star rating

'Good' rating: bacterial levels are safe for bathing according to National Health & Medical Research Council guidelines.

Routine sampling has at times, returned a poor result for enterococci at Surf Beach. When this occurs, Council installs advisory public health warning signs to alert the community of potential health risk associated with swimming at the beach.

Council’s Public and Environmental Health Team are investigating water-quality results at Surf Beach.

Council carries out water sampling at Surf Beach, along with data on tides, wind, rainfall, and other background factors (eg, the number of bathers, seaweed presence, turbidity, stormwater flow or bird numbers).

Sewer pump stations, outfalls and the waste facility are also checked to ensure they operate effectively, and in line with environmental protection licences.

To date, Council has not identified a potential source or reason for water-quality issues at Surf Beach.

For further information, please contact enviroservices@esc.nsw.gov.au or call 4474 1310.

Location:

  • Centre of Surf Beach.

Potential pollution sources and catchment use:

  • urban stormwater
  • reticulated sewerage system and pump stations
  • landfill leachate
  • Wimbie and Surf Beach creeks
  • sewer treatment plant outfall.

Pollution - mode of impact:

  • via intermittently flowing creek with low volume discharge (+ SW drainage pipe on north end)
  • public toilet on beach reserve
  • intermittently flowing creek (low volume)
  • remote effective ocean outfall
  • pollution from vessels at sea.