Botany Bay and Catchment Alliance

The following article is quoted from the Canterbury Bankstown Express for the information of those living beyond the paper’s circulation area. Our thanks to Jessica Clement for her fine reporting of this issue. Please note the Petition on the Cooks River Valley Association website. We recommend that you download the petition and circulate it amongst your friends and neighbours then forward it as noted on the website.

FOR more than 100 years, the Cooks River has delivered contaminated and filthy water to Canterbury, Campsie and Earlwood, through to Botany Bay.

A century-and-a-half ago it was the woolwashers and tanneries that contributed to the foul deluge.

Today, a university has found our ageing sewerage infrastructure is to blame.

Armed with this knowledge, residents led by the Cooks River Valley Association, have decided enough is enough.

“We need to show Sydney Water that this is the time to change their priorities and pay serious attention to the Cooks River,’’ association water quality co-ordinator Gayle Adams said.

A University of NSW study completed late last year pronounced the 23km waterway to be nothing but an “open sewer’’  carrying enough raw sewage to be deemed hazardous to human health.

The study, by Dr Stuart Khan, concluded that ageing sewers, some almost 100 years old, were leaking effluent into the river.

This confirmation has renewed calls for a clean-up.

“We’d hope that one day we could have this river restored to the point where it is safe to swim in at least one location,’’ she said.

Councils recommend nobody swim or kayak in the river. Fishing is banned.

A Sydney Water spokeswoman affirmed its commitment, in conjunction with councils, to protect the river’s health.

She said the organisation was designing plans to naturalise 1.1km of the river’s banks this year and would routinely monitor 19 stormwater drain in the catchment area.

PETITION
WHO:The Cooks River Valley Association has started a petition to clean the Cooks River and make it safe for swimming and human use
TABLED:They hope to have the petition tabled in parliament
HELP: Download the petition at www.crva.org.au or email info@crva.org.au
PLUS: Residents are also urged to contact their state MP to have the river cleaned

Canterbury Bankstown Express link to original article:-  http://express.whereilive.com.au/news/story/waterway-nothing-but-an-open-sewer/

The following figures were given on a daily basis for beaches within the Botany Bay and Georges River for the two weeks commencing Sunday 08/01/2012. The pollution is said to be caused by stormwater overflow from various land sources. A high percentage is from sewerage outflows.

* Rainfall data has been used to predict the likelihood of bacterial contamination at swimming sites in Botany Bay and lower Georges River. When pollution is likely, swimmers may be at increased risk of contracting illness and swimming at these sites should be avoided.

Statistics from “Beachwatch” website, NSW Department of Environment and Heritage

 The following figures were given on a daily basis for beaches within the Botany Bay and Georges River for the week commencing Sunday 01/01/2012. The pollution is said to be caused by stormwater overflow from various land sources. A high percentage is from sewerage outflows.

* Rainfall data has been used to predict the likelihood of bacterial contamination at swimming sites in Botany Bay and lower Georges River. When pollution is likely, swimmers may be at increased risk of contracting illness and swimming at these sites should be avoided.

Statistics from “Beachwatch” website, NSW Department of Environment and Heritage

 The following figures were given on a daily basis for beaches within the Botany Bay and Georges River for the week commencing Sunday 25/12/2011. The pollution is said to be caused by stormwater overflow from various land sources. A high percentage is from sewerage outflows.

* Rainfall data has been used to predict the likelihood of bacterial contamination at swimming sites in Botany Bay and lower Georges River. When pollution is likely, swimmers may be at increased risk of contracting illness and swimming at these sites should be avoided.

Statistics from “Beachwatch” website, NSW Department of Environment and Heritage

 The following figures were given on a daily basis for beaches within the Botany Bay and Georges River for the week commencing Sunday 18/12/2011. The pollution is said to be caused by stormwater overflow from various land sources. A high percentage is from sewerage outflows.

* Rainfall data has been used to predict the likelihood of bacterial contamination at swimming sites in Botany Bay and lower Georges River. When pollution is likely, swimmers may be at increased risk of contracting illness and swimming at these sites should be avoided.

Statistics from “Beachwatch” website, NSW Department of Environment and Heritage