Following water quality monitoring results on Wednesday, April 29, Gosford Council has lifted the public health alert for all public waterways after the severe storm event despite further rainfall over the weekend of May 2 and 3.
Water quality monitoring, especially at Copacabana, Avoca, North Avoca and Terrigal, indicates that all Gosford City beaches are now safe for swimming and other recreational activities. Water quality in local estuaries and lagoons, such as Brisbane Water, Terrigal Lagoon and Avoca Lake, has also improved signifi cantly and these waterways are safe for swimming and other recreational activities as well.
Council issued the public health alert after a number of sewage discharges into waterways across the Gosford Local Government Area following significant rainfall and widespread power outages. The storm event also caused major stormwater pollution, which contributed to the public health alert. Power has been restored to both sewage treatment plants at Kincumber and Woy Woy as well as all sewage pump stations. Council will continue to monitor water quality as a precaution.
Council is also continuing to work with all relevant authorities including the NSW Environment Protection Authority and Public Health Unit. The community can be assured that the drinking water supply was not affected by these sewage overfl ows. Council sources drinking water from protected water catchments, including the Mangrove Creek Dam and Mooney Mooney Dam, before treating it to Australian Drinking Water Guidelines at the Somersby Water Treatment Plant and transporting it to the community via a 1,000 kilometre network of water mains.
Media release,
29 Apr 2015
Gosford Council media