SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2015
In this newsletter
Beachwatch Partnership Program
State of the Beaches Report
Summer 2014-15 Wet Weather Events 
Beachwatch Field Officers
How are we doing?
Further information and assistance
If you need any more information or assistance in relation to assessment and management of microbial risks in recreational waters, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Summer is here!
Looks like we are in for yet another great summer season! Beach conditions are set to be perfect for swimming, with drier than average weather expected along the NSW coast. The Beachwatch team's summer sampling program has kicked off, and sampling of regional swimming sites is already underway or commencing shortly by the Partnership Program Councils.
The Beachwatch Program is run by the Office of Environment and Heritage to monitor and report
on the water quality at popular swimming locations
in the Sydney region. We also report water quality results for the Hunter and Illawarra regions, as well
as a number of partnership councils along the NSW coast during summer. We also issue daily pollution forecasts for the Sydney, Hunter, Central Coast and Illawarra regions to enable beachgoers to make informed decisions about where and when to swim.
Beachwatch Partnership Program
Little Bay Sampling Last year's partnership councils will again be sampling more than 100 swimming sites along the NSW coast this summer. The councils involved are: Ballina Shire Council, Richmond Valley Council, Lake Macquarie City Council, Wyong Shire Council, Gosford City Council, Wollongong City Council, Kiama Municipal Council, Eurobodalla Shire Council, Shoalhaven City Council and Bega Valley Shire Council. It's a fantastic commitment by these councils to provide information on beach water quality to residents and visitors to their beaches.

The Beachwatch team will be visiting councils soon to review their programs, and offer any advice or assistance. It's not too late for any councils interested in monitoring their beaches this summer - please contact Beachwatch to discuss further. For more information on the Beachwatch Partnership Program, check here
State of the Beaches Report
State of the Beaches report cover The latest State of the Beaches Report was recently released! This year we had a return to heavy rainfall conditions, including a significant east coast low in the Hunter, Central Coast and Sydney regions, and the extended impacts of tropical cyclones on the NSW North Coast.

Some key findings: 
  • Of the 241 monitored swimming locations, 83% of swimming sites were graded as very good or good, indicating they were suitable for swimming most or almost all of the time. 
  • 18 swimming sites were down graded from very good to good due to wet weather events experienced during Summer 2014/15
  • The performance of the esturaine, lake/lagoon and ocean bath sites were not as good as the ocean beaches, primarily due to the limited flushing.
Summer 2014-15 Wet Weather Events
Freshwater Beach after a Storm event December 7th 2014

The NSW east coast experienced several wet weather events throughout the 2014-15 summer season which substantially impacted NSW waterways and beaches. Regions experienced heavy rainfall, damaging winds and flash flooding. This exposed many Beachwatch monitored swimming sites to excessive stormwater pollution and debris, resulting in poorer water quality. Under less extreme weather conditions, most Beachwatch sites have effective flushing mechanisms which enables stormwater pollution to dissipate 1-3 days after rainfall. However, during the significant wet weather events, the impact of stormwater pollution and debris from the storms remained at swimming sites for prolonged periods. This lead to a review of our forecast procedures for extreme rainfall events (more than 100mm), with recovery times at ocean beaches to be extended for 24 hours, and estuarine beaches up to five days. 

 
Beachwatch Field Officers
Joshua Finfer (Left) and Joshua Ward (Right)

This summer, we have four hard working field officers sampling Sydney's swimming sites and working with partnership councils. Adam Wethered and Christopher Gill are Beachwatch's seasoned Field Officers and remain valuable members of the Beachwatch Program.

Joshua Finfer (left) has been with Beachwatch since September last year. Entering the team with a Bachelor of Science, a Masters of Environmental Science and several years of experience as a Research Assistant at The University of Sydney, Joshua has combined his passion for marine environments with his experience to become an important team member. 

Joshua Ward (right), recently joined the Beachwatch team in September this year and has hit the ground running. With a Bachelor of Science (Hons) and a strong passion for the marine environment, he is quickly becoming an integral part of Beachwatch. 
How are we doing?
Beachwatch logo Beachwatch is committed to monitoring the quality of the services and products we provide, as part of an ongoing improvement process.

We would appreciate some feedback on our performance, so if you haven't already, please take 2 minutes to complete this short survey online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZMXQVMX
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