Barrett St Weir health warning update - 28/2/20

The Shire of Augusta Margaret River last week notified the community about the unsatisfactory levels of potential harmful bacteria at Barrett Street Weir.   Environmental Health Officers this week retested all originally sampled recreational waters. Barrett Street Weir is still the only location returning potentially unsafe bacteria levels. Advice is to avoid swimming at this location and to use best judgement at other swimming locations as levels can change between testing periods.  Officers will retest again next week and the community will be kept informed at the earliest opportunity. See original media release below for more background. 

Health warning for Barrett Street weir - 21/8/20

Signs have been erected at Barrett Street Weir to warn the public against coming into direct contact with river water at the location due to recent water samples indicating potentially unsafe levels of Escherichia coli and Enterococci. So far Barrett Street Weir is the only sampled swimming location to return unsatisfactory levels of the potential harmful bacteria this season. Shire of Augusta Margaret River Environmental Health Officers are investigating the cause however the warm and stagnant water at this location is a likely contributor. Other sites tested by Health Officers during the November to May swimming season include:

Flinders Bay near Redman Brook

Hardy Inlet near Turner Caravan Park

Hardy Inlet near storm water drains

Margaret River at the rivermouth

Margaret River at the canoe landing

Margaret River at Rendall Close Weir

Gracetown beach near the mouth of the creek

Gnarabup beach near the boat ramp

Blackwood River near Alexandra Bridge campsite

Shire Environmental Health Officer Jacinta McKinlay said they will continue to monitor the key sites and erect and remove warning signs as required. “We put up signs based on bacterial levels, but river users also need to use their own judgement when considering swimming in any natural waterbody,” she said. “Levels can increase or decrease between testing periods and we can’t test every spot in every local waterway.” The Barrett Street Weir will be re-sampled Tuesday 25 February with updated results expected to be returned to the Shire on Friday 28 February 2020.