Council’s Stormwater Investigation Officer, appointed in August 2021, is currently working through the Howrah stormwater network and tracing issues using ammonia testing (a reliable indicator of bacterial activity), followed by dye testing and lab testing. Once issues are found, repairs are being completed by TasWater (sewer) or council (stormwater). Follow up testing is being carried out to ensure all known issues are resolved.
Weekly environmental water quality sampling has commenced at 3 swimming locations on Howrah Beach. Weekly sampling of the stormwater outfalls has also commenced. This data is helping to gain further insight into how the weather can affect water quality and will track long-term changes in sewage contamination, as issues are identified and fixed.
Sediment sampling was undertaken and completed at the end of September at Howrah Beach. Results have not given evidence of widespread contamination in the beach sand and further studies are being planned.
Multiple existing groundwater monitoring wells are being developed at Wentworth Park for sampling and testing. This is currently in progress and will give an indication of groundwater contamination that may be contributing to the beach water quality.