The wet weather on Monday ended an extended run of Good water quality conditions in Port Phillip Bay with EPA Beach Report anticipating a return to Good water quality conditions in time for the forecast hot weekend.
"We got off to a rocky start this summer with the first two weeks of December having very varied conditions. Wet weather always impacts water quality in the bay with our stormwater drains, creeks and rivers collecting pollutants that eventually find their way out to sea," said EPA Chief Environmental Scientist Professor Mark Taylor.
"Despite that, Beach Report forecast Good water quality on the bay for two thirds of all forecasts for December 2024 and the period over Christmas showed mostly Good water quality.
"Overall, water quality met swimming and recreational use standards for nearly 90 percent of December. Water quality in the bay is usually pretty good, especially when you consider how highly urbanised most of the area surrounding it is."
Professor Taylor said he expected Good water quality conditions to return to all 36 beaches soon with an improving weather forecast.
"It can take a couple of days for the water to recover after heavy rain, but if the weather stays on the current forecast trend, we should be back enjoying our beaches shortly."
Heavy rain washes pollutants from Melbourne's streets and footpaths through the stormwater drain system to our creeks and waterways, ultimately ending up in the bay. Water pollution after rain might aggravate skin conditions or even cause gastro. Given time, it dilutes and water quality improves.
Professor Taylor said we can also do our bit to keep the water clean by leaving the beach with everything we took down.
"Make sure you pack up your sunscreen, sunhats, beach umbrellas, drink bottles, food packaging and the like, take it home with you and we can all enjoy our magnificent bay beaches this summer," said Professor Taylor.
The EPA Beach Report (epa.vic.gov.au/for-community/summer-water-quality/beach-report) is available twice a day over the summer and you can sign up for SMS alerts for your favourite bay beach. EPA does water quality forecasts for 36 beaches in the Bay and 4 sites on the Yarra, predicting water quality at 10 am and 3 pm each day using weather forecasts, known pollution incidents and historical data.
Physical water sampling occurs at all 36 bay beaches every month and provides the data to inform the Beach Report forecasts.
