Overview
A Riverwatch water monitoring program will help us measure change over time, protect existing swimming spots, open new swimming sites and understand what makes water quality change over time.
Recommendation
Agree and progress the establishment of the Riverwatch monitoring program for the Parramatta River.
Timeframe
Now.
Lead Agency
Sydney Water.
Current Measure
Number of swim sites being monitored.
| Swim Site |
Location |
Site Manager |
Water Quality Monitoring Provider |
Site Status |
| Bayview Park Baths |
Concord |
City of Canada Bay |
Riverwatch (Sydney Water) |
Existing |
| Bedlam Bay |
Gladesville |
Hunter’s Hill Council |
Riverwatch (Sydney Water) |
Planned |
| Cabarita Park beach |
Cabarita |
City of Canada Bay |
Beachwatch (NSW Government) |
Existing |
| Callan Park |
Lilyfield |
Inner West Council |
Beachwatch (NSW Government) |
Planned |
| Chiswick Baths |
Chiswick |
City of Canada Bay |
Beachwatch (NSW Government) |
Existing |
| Dawn Fraser Baths |
Balmain |
Inner West Council |
Beachwatch (NSW Government) |
Existing |
| Lake Parramatta |
North Parramatta |
City of Parramatta |
City of Parramatta |
Existing |
| Mort Bay |
Birchgrove |
Inner West Council |
Riverwatch (Sydney Water) |
Planned |
| Putney Beach |
Putney |
City of Ryde |
Riverwatch (Sydney Water) |
Existing |
RiverWatch Monitoring Program
RiverWatch™ was established in 2019 by Sydney Water to monitor and report on water quality at new and planned swimming and recreation sites along the Parramatta River.
Before a new site is opened, routine water quality monitoring is undertaken for more than 12 months. Monitoring results are assessed against the National Health and Medical Research Council Guidelines for Managing Risks in Recreational Water and NSW Water Quality Objectives.
Sydney Water also worked with industry partners to develop a chemical assessment program, which evaluates how chemical contaminants impact river sediment and water quality to ensure there are no risks to human health. The framework and assessment process is based on the enHealth guidance – Guidelines for assessing human health risks from environmental hazards.
Daily water quality forecasts for existing swimming and recreation sites are available through Our Living River’s Interactive Map.
RiverWatch is aligned with similar recreational water quality monitoring programs such as NSW Department of Planning and Environment’s Beachwatch monitoring program, which monitors three of the existing swim sites on the Parramatta River: Cabarita Park beach, Chiswick Baths and Dawn Fraser Baths. Water quality at Lake Parramatta is monitored by the City of Parramatta’s comprehensive Water Quality Program.
Status Update
Assessing recreational water quality in the Parramatta River is an important step in delivering the Parramatta River Masterplan. The Riverwatch microbial monitoring program assesses how microbial contaminants impact water quality in the Parramatta River. Along with the Riverwatch chemical assessment program, it helps inform decisions about proposed swimming sites along the river.
Planned Sites
| Site |
Water quality monitoring |
Chemical assessment |
| Bedlam Bay |
September 2020-present |
Complete |
| Callan Park |
July 2019- present |
Complete |
| Mort Bay |
Commenced |
Not started |
Progress Timeline
March to May 2025
- Water quality monitoring ongoing at existing and planned sites.
- Sydney Water and Inner West Council will be exploring two sites at Mort Bay. One site will be investigated further for site activation.
|
December 2024 to February 2025
- Water quality monitoring ongoing at existing and planned sites.
|
September to November 2024
- Water quality monitoring ongoing at existing and planned sites.
|
June to August 2024
- Parramatta River Sediment Risk Communication Strategy: Final strategy completed and released.
- Water quality monitoring ongoing at existing and planned sites.
|
March to May 2024
- Parramatta River Sediment Risk Communication Strategy: PRCG engaged consultant ECF to develop a strategy for communicating swimming risks related to legacy chemical contamination. The guidance will inform Our Living River website content and signage, explaining past land use, risk assessments, and findings that confirm no health risk to swimmers.
- Water quality monitoring ongoing at existing and planned sites.
|
December 2023 to February 2024
- Bayview Park Baths predictive model – a recent analysis of model predictions against water quality data collected showed that they matched 85% of the time, within the agreed threshold (and aligning with Beachwatch). As more data is collected at the site, the predictive accuracy of the model will continue to improve.
- Putney Park predictive model – completed in the last quarter. Sydney Water is monitoring predictions against real world data collected, prior to making it publicly available when City of Ryde opens their site.
- Bedlam Bay predictive model – still being developed, but on track to be ready before site opening in 2024. Sydney Water is undertaking intensive monitoring including microbial source tracking (using dog and human markers) as well as CCTV of the local network and where required conducting root-cutting and repairs in the sub-catchment.
- Communication strategy for sediment risks at recreational sites in the Parramatta River: PRCG engaged risk and communications specialist ECF to develop a strategy to communicate the risk associated with swimming/contact with areas that have legacy chemical contamination to a broad audience.
- ECF presented on the strategy and collateral to be developed to the Swim Site Activation Technical Working Group in early December.
|
September to November 2023
- Assessments of swimmability at existing and new swim sites completed for 22/23 swim season.
- Finalising State of the River Report.
|
June to August 2023
- Water quality monitoring ongoing at existing and planned sites.
- Operationalisation of predictive model on track to support reporting on new swim sites through PRCG interactive map in 2023.
|
March – May 2023
- Water quality monitoring ongoing at existing and planned sites.
|
December 2022 – February 2023
- Water quality monitoring ongoing at existing and planned sites.
- Our Living River website updated.
|
September – November 2022
- Water quality monitoring ongoing at existing and planned sites.
- Operationalisation of predictive model on track to support reporting on new swim sites through PRCG interactive map in 2022/23.
- Our Living River website updated.
|
June – August 2022
- Water quality monitoring ongoing at existing and planned sites.
- Operationalisation of predictive model on track to support reporting on new swim sites through PRCG interactive map in 2022/23.
|
March – May 2022
- Water quality monitoring ongoing at existing and planned sites.
- Good progress on hosting and operationalising models within Sydney Water, to be completed by September 2022.
|
September 2021 – February 2022
- Water quality monitoring ongoing at existing and planned sites.
- Progress on predictive modelling. All milestones have been met and delivery of models expected by March 2022.
- Work progressing on hosting and operationalising models within Sydney Water, to be completed by September 2022.
|
June – August 2021
- Water quality monitoring ongoing at existing and planned sites.
- Progress made on predictive modelling. All milestones have been met and delivery of models expected by March 2022.
- Work is progressing on hosting and operationalising models within Sydney Water, to be completed by September 2022.
- EnRisk engaged by Ryde and Hunter’s Hill Councils to undertake chemical sampling and develop Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA).
- HHRA for Bayview Park, Callan Park and McIlwaine Park completed. Waiting on sign-off from Swim Site Activation Technical Working Group.
|
March – May 2021
- Intensive water quality monitoring occurring to provide data for predictive model on wet weather impacts and recovery.
- Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) for Callan Park, Bayview Park and McIlwaine Park completed.
- Updated interactive map complete and will be transferred to site two weeks prior to first site activation.
|
December 2020 – February 2021
- Intensive water quality monitoring occurring to provide data for predictive model on wet weather impacts and recovery.
- Results of microbial source tracking not showing human markers in samples.
- HHRA for Callan Park completed. Based on swim site design, there are no issues of concern.
|
September – November 2020
- City of Ryde has confirmed $37k funding to complete a Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA).
- Hunter’s Hill Council added Bedlam Bay to the list of priority swim sites.
- Four priority swimming sites currently being monitored on a weekly basis.
- Hunter’s Hill, City of Canada Bay and Inner West Councils have engaged EnRiskS/Geochemical Assessments to conduct HHRA.
- Microbial Source Tracking – some samples assessed.
- Riverwatch interactive map completed and will be launched in early 2020 prior to the opening of the Bayview Park swim site.
- Dawn Fraser Baths predictive water quality model completed.
- Dan Bradley from Sydney Water presented on Riverwatch at the Riverfest 2020 webinar on Swimming in the Parramatta River.
|
June – August 2020
- Progressed development of a Riverwatch page on the Our Living River website, allowing us to inform the community when a site is suitable for swimming. The page will be launched in October 2020.
- Developed branding for communication and marketing of the Riverwatch program.
- Engaged EnRisk to complete the Human Health Risk Assessment for Bayview Park and McIlwaine Park.
- Commenced microbial source tracking in July to identify source of microbial contaminants in river.
|
March – May 2020
- EnRisk has developed a Human Health Risk Assessment Framework that has been approved by NSW Health, DPIE EES and the swim site activation technical working group. This will allow us to commence the chemical sampling for the next three priority sites.
- Engaged a web developer to create a Riverwatch page on the Our Living River site which will allow us to inform the community when a site is suitable for swimming.
- Developing branding for communication and marketing of the Riverwatch program.
|
December 2019 – February 2020
- Target microbial monitoring program (regular monitoring ongoing) at the three sites has been completed.
- MOU with UNSW established to develop a predictive model and commenced analysis of water quality data.
- Work with Digital Business Department within Sydney Water has commenced to build stage one of the website.
|
September – November 2019
- Water quality monitoring for microbial contaminants (e.g. enterococci) is continuing for Putney Park, McIlwaine Park and Bayview Park (new swimming sites). So far water quality is good during dry weather and recovery after rain is between 2-3 days depending on rainfall.
- UNSW provided results from chemical analysis of water and sediments at Callan Park. These will be reviewed by NSW health, EPA, OEH and Inner West Council.
- UNSW is developing a proposal to undertake the chemical analysis for the three new swim sites following a similar process at Callan Park.
- Planning commenced on developing an external facing website to clearly communicate the Riverwatch program and progress towards swimming in the River.
|
June – August 2019
- Pictorial conceptual model completed for Parramatta River to illustrate the current understanding of contaminants and exposure pathways in the Parramatta River (to be presented at meeting).
- Water quality monitoring for microbial contaminants (i.e. enterococci) commenced for Putney Park, McIlwaine Park and Bayview Park swimming sites.
- Riverwatch program fact sheets developed.
- UNSW analysing results from chemical analysis of water and sediments at Callan Park.
|
March – May 2019
- Beachwatch monitoring is ongoing at Callan Park.
- Sanitary inspection of Callan Park completed.
- Chemical analysis of water and sediments at Callan Park has commenced.
- Pictorial conceptual model is being prepared for Parramatta River to illustrate the current understanding of contaminants and exposure pathways in the Parramatta River.
- Water quality monitoring plan under development for new swim sites at Putney Park, McIlwaine Park and Bayview Park.
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