A council investigation into a potential river pollution incident has found there is no significant risk to public health or the environment.
Noosa Council began investigations began after reports of a possible sewage spill in the Noosa River, and videos showing material floating in the river emerged last month.
The council’s environmental mealth manager Rob Smith said in a statement released on Tuesday that thorough sampling of potential contamination sources had occurred in collaboration with state agencies and Unitywater.
“These included audits of private water treatment facilities, inspections of residential boats and comprehensive on-water inspections and surveillance,” he said.
The statement said on-water surveillance had captured samples of floating materials like that shown in social media posts.
The water was tested for a range of bacterial, organic, particulate matter and the results were found to be consistent with soil and organic matter typical of the river’s environmental conditions, the statement said.
On August 21, the council’s chief executive officer Larry Sengstock said testing was underway on material filmed floating down the Noosa River.
He said at the time that there was no indication that it was human waste but the council was working with Unitywater and Maritime Safety Queensland to determine the source.
“The tests results received so far indicate that levels are well within the Queensland Recreation Water Quality Guidelines and show no indication of human waste being present,” Mr Sengstock said.
A subsequent council statement said testing had been carried out at five sites but preliminary results indicated the material was not faecal.
On August 24, the council advised in a statement that elevated levels of bacteria had been detected in water samples taken near Goat Island and that further monitoring was being carried out.
In December 2022, it was reported that the Noosa catchment’s health rating had dropped from A to B, with the decrease put down to run-off from flooding.
Want more free local news? Follow Sunshine Coast News on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, and sign up for our FREE daily news email.
