River full of risk

By Kath Gannaway
YARRA Valley residents who happily swim in the Yarra River from Millgrove through to Healesville may be safer travelling downstream to Abbotsford for a dip.
EPA monitoring of the Yarra River between Millgrove and Healesville in the three months from July to September showed a marked decline in the number of days where the water quality was suitable for swimming compared with last year’s readings.
In the Upper Yarra region, the Yarra River is monitored weekly at Millgrove, Launching Place, Everard Park at Healesville and at Spiddonis Reserve at Coldstream.
The monitoring takes place all along the river to Melbourne.
A grading of high, medium or low water quality is given based on a geometric mean of the previous five weekly samples of E.coli organisms per 100mL. E.coli is the bacteria used by the EPA to assess the recreational water quality of waterways and is found in human and animal faeces.
The EPA website identifies potential sources of contamination as sewage overflows, leaking sewerage pipes, poorly operating septic tanks, agricultural and stormwater run-off and contamination from pets, wildlife and livestock, as well as from people using the river for recreation activities.
A “high” water quality reading means the water is suitable for swimming, but “medium” is not, with a potential health risk for some people from exposure to the water, particularly if swallowed, at a medium rating.
Over the three months, Millgrove recorded 10 medium and three high days compared with two medium and 11 high in 2006, Launching Place eight/five compared with three/10, and Healesville had 13 days of medium rating with no highs compared with nine/four in 2006.
Abbotsford, however, recorded five high readings and eight medium – comparable with Launching Place.
Jules Ward, president of Millgrove Environment Restoration Group (MERG) said the Yarra River played a vital part in the social and recreational life of Upper Yarra residents and admitted being surprised at reports which showed it was suitable for swimming for only three days at Millgrove.
“As a MERG member and as a parent I was concerned to see reports which indicated the river here is not as clear as we might have believed it to be,” she said.
“My children swim in the river so I would want to know more about what it all means.”
Swimmers at Everard Park on Sunday were unaware of any potential risk from swimming in what is the swimming hole of choice for local families and teenagers.
Local dad Steven Johnson said he and his family have swum there for years.
“We’ve never had any problems. I’m not too concerned,” he said.
And, for Healesville 19-year-old Nadine Williams and friends, pulling a broken bottle out of the murky water was more of a worry.
Melbourne Water spokesman Ben Pratt said measures to improve the quality of the Yarra River included the State Government’s $600 million investment in the Yarra River Action Plan, which includes a sewerage backlog project run by Yarra Valley Water aimed at reducing the impact of septic tanks.
Mr Pratt said the Yarra River was an urban waterway whose health was impacted as much by what happens on the land as in the water.
“Storm water run-off, and run-off from farms and gardens will all have an impact on the quality of the water,” he said.
“That’s why the Yarra Watch website (giving weekly ratings) is an important tool to enable people to understand the quality of water in the Upper Yarra.”
Weekly readings are available at www.epa.vic.gov.au