Rock Pools at South Maroubra – Contaminated?
I was browsing on Flickr, and I came across a photostream where I found a picture of a “pools closed until further notice” sign at these rock pools. This freaked me out a bit as I take my boys down to these pools most weekends lately. So I emailed the people who look after the site www.nswoceanbaths.info and got a reply back saying
While the South Maroubra rock pools no longer have a sign up to say that they are closed, there is still a sign on the fence around the Commonwealth-owned land that backs onto the the beach, warning against contact with the stormwater. (I’ve posted images of the signs and the stormwater channel up on my Flickr photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nswoceanbaths). That stormwater hazard at the rock pools would be least during dry times and more significant after rain. So on dry sunny days, when you are more likely to be at the beach, the risk is far lower than it would be after a storm/rainy period.
There is a stream flowing across the beach from that land into the rock pools pretty much constantly, ie the water is pretty much always contaminated to some degree. That’s so sad. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the area. And just as worrying is the EPA Report showing that it’s bad pollution and Coogee Beach is not much better.