In Melbourne, beaches are being shut down after health sanitary experts warn of bacteria in water caused by poo. Fecal bacteria have reached the beach area after recent bouts of rain storm affected the region.
According to Victoria's Environment Protection Authority (EPA), five popular beaches have reached unsafe water level due to different kinds of poo. The fecal material collected and found present in the beach water belong to birds, animals, and people.
They have also warned people to avoid entering discolored water. The discoloration could be part of the result of fecal contamination.
Due to dangerously high levels of bacteria in water, health officials have issued a warning to all beach goers and swimmers to avoid going into the water altogether.
According to the 9 News, the five beaches that are temporarily closed down are Port Melbourne, Frankston, Mentone, St Kilda and Werribee South. All five beaches are located close to large waterways or rain water drains.
People who like to frequent beaches are advised to wait for news confirming the safety level of the water. Local beach agencies often release updates on which beaches are safe and which ones to avoid.
According to The Age, there are eight beaches that have good water quality records for years. There is also one beach that have never met the water quality target in 15 years.The Mentone Beach was the only beach last year that did not pass the weekly summer water test.
The EPA tests for bacteria concentrations by setting safe level of 200 organisms in every 200 ml of water. On one bad week, Mentone beach recorded bacteria levels almost five times the safe amount.
Health officials are keen on testing water quality to avoid outbreaks of gastrointestinal diseases as reported earlier. The season play huge part on the increase of bacteria in beaches. During rainy seasons, bacteria in water significantly rise.
