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Why can't we swim here anymore?
From the 1970’s on, the catchment was developed with housing. At
the time environmental controls on development were limited. Septic
tanks and later sewer pipes leaked sewage
pollution. Fertilisers and other chemical leached into the lake
causing nutrient problems. Recent studies have shown that the water
quality is often suitable for swimming, but because stormwater pollution
can have a significant impact on water quality, Council will only
permit swimming on specific occasions and only if there has been
no rain in the days preceeding the event.
Does the community really want to be able to swim
in Lake Parramatta again?
In 1996 the Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust asked the residents
of the upper Parramatta River catchment what they wanted their creeks
to be like as part of the “Streamly Clean” project.
The overwhelming response was that the community wanted to be able
to swim in the Lake again. The ‘Lake Parramatta Water Quality Management
Plan’ showed that the Lake can be made swimmable again and laid
out a plan to make it happen.
What is the Lake Parramatta Water Quality Management
Plan?
In 1998 the Lake Parramatta Water Quality Management Plan was completed.The
plan sets out the steps that need to be taken to improve water quality
so that we can swim again in the Lake during dry weather. The plan
showed that if we all make a small effort to reduce our impacts
on water in the lake, it can once again be a valuable community
recreation area.
This plan has been adopted by Baulkham Hills Shire Council, Parramatta
City Council and the Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust.
What has been done to clean up the Lake?
- Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust Coordinates ‘Swim
Towards 2005 – Help Clean Up Lake Parramatta’ project that
aims to return the Lake to a place where people can swim again.
- Stormwater Management Plan was prepared with the local councils
in 1999 to help reduce stormwater pollution.
- Regular water quality monitoring by Streamwatch
students and professionals
to keep a record of water quality trends.
- Many of the streets in the Lake Parramatta catchment area have
now been labelled with bright reflective labels to remind people
that water drains into the Lake.
- Parramatta City Council manages a program to control Salvinia
- Catchment Community days held in 1999, 2000, 2001 to educate
the local community how they can make a difference
- Investigations to fix phosphorus (a nutrient) to the lake bed
sediments.
- Release of 5,000 bass fingerlings into the Lake in March 2000.
- Lake Parramatta Conservation Committee bush regeneration program.
- Lake Parramatta Water Quality Management Plan.
- EPA Stormwater Trust Grant with Parramatta City Council titled
“Rain, Drains Rivers and You”, that is a stormwater community
education program.
- Installation of two Gross pollutant traps.
- Relocation of most of the domestic duck population
- Community days from 199 to 2004 to educate the community on
how they can help.
- A major study by UNSW in three stages: Stage 1 - Assessment
of current situation. Stage 2 - Assess dry weather water
quality. Stage 3 - Assess wet weather inputs from sewage
and stormwater and the impact of water birds on the water quality.
- Risk Management Plan by Parramatta City Council considering
all factors not just water quality.
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