Kiama Council is stepping up its water quality monitoring to cover all seven local patrolled swimming beaches via the NSW Beachwatch program.
More than 167,000 people visited Kiama’s swimming beaches in January.
Council and Sydney Water already monitor Jones Beach, Bombo Beach, Werri Beach, Surf Beach and Seven Mile Beach, which recorded ‘Very Good’ or ‘Good’ water quality in 2023-24.
The Council has now added Kendalls Beach and Easts Beach, which host holiday parks, to the Beachwatch program. The entrance of the Minnamurra River has also been added, due to the high number of people swimming there.
“Coastal waters can be affected by stormwater outlets and emergency overflows from sewage pumping stations,” Council said in a statement.
“They can also be affected by runoff from rural and urban areas which flows into our rivers and estuaries then to the ocean.
“The monitoring is done weekly during the swim season (October to April) in accordance with National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines.
“Expanding the Beachwatch water quality monitoring program is an action in our new Coastal Management Program (CMP).”
