Summary

The Streamly Clean community survey carried out by the Trust in 1995 and 1996 identified a strong desire from the community to be able to swim in Lake Parramatta, a once popular local swimming place.

This led to preparation in 1997 of the Lake Parramatta Water Quality Management Plan that sets out what needs to be done to achieve swimmable water quality in the Lake. It is a component of the catchment Stormwater Management Plan.

As an outcome of the plan, the "Swim Towards 2005" campaign was born. Its objective was that, by the year 2005, people would be able to swim in the Lake due to improved water quality.

The Trust has been working with the University of NSW Centre for Water and Waste Technology to get a better understand of the interaction of the Hunts Creek Catchment, which supplies the Lake, with the water quality indicators used. Two scenarios were considered:

1. The impact of waterbirds, including native species and domestic ducks and geese, on the Lake's water quality and its impact on swimming.
2. Wet weather inputs of sewage-related pollutions and the time it takes for the water quality indicators levels to fall and meet the standards for swimming in the Lake.

The draft report is now being received by the Trust and Parramatta City Council.

Although the campaign did not meet its target date of 2005, in June 2006, Parramatta City Council considered the preliminary results of the study, and its own Risk Management Plan and agreed to permit swimming in the lake during events or when under the control of a club. The first such event is scheduled to take place on the 3rd December 2006, with an open water swimming event coordinated by Parramatta City Swim Club in the morning and the FreshWater Festival, including public swimming, in the afternoon. However swimming may not be permitted if there is rain in the preceeding days.

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