Had to run an errand this morning, so I checked the Collaroy-Narra stretch. Pretty much unsurfable along most of it but there are still some okay size sets. The only place I spotted humans in the water was at Northy. I presume they were training or something, because the quality was strictly for desperates. And the water colour…urk… looks like it’s 90% stormwater run-off from the lagoon.
To quote from the environment.nsw.gov.au site:
However after heavy rain, pollution from stormwater and sewage overflows can make beaches unsuitable for swimming for 24 hours at ocean beaches…
The most common types of waterborne pathogens are:* Enteric Bacteria: single-celled organisms that live in the intestinal tracts of all warm blooded animals. Several groups of these bacteria are pathogenic, including Camplobacter, Salmonella, Pseudomonas and Shigella
* Viruses: genetic material surrounded by a protein shell. These are a common cause of swimming-related illnesses and include Rotaviruses, Adenoviruses, Noroviruses and Hepatitis
* Protozoa: live in water as resilient dormant cysts and once ingested, can live as parasites in humans and animals. Of the 35,000 known species of protozoans, 30% of these are pathogenic and include Giardia and Cryptosporidium
* Worms which can cause vomiting, coughing, chest pain, fever and gastroenteritis.
