Scum on beaches is marine organic matter

23 October 2020

Tweed wastewater managed to EPA licence requirements

Scum on Tweed Coast beaches is naturally occurring marine organic material not sewage or wastewater effluent.

“While the material looks unsightly and has a strong odour, it is a natural phenomenon and has nothing to do with Council’s wastewater treatment processes or sewers,” Manager Water and Wastewater Operations Brie Jowett said.

Following contact from concerned residents, Council has tested samples of the scum taken from the beaches at its Tweed Laboratory Centre and confirmed it is organic matter.

Tweed Shire Council operates its wastewater plants, which treat raw sewage, under strict Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) licences.

Tweed’s wastewater is treated to a tertiary standard with disinfection. This produces a very high quality effluent that can be reused or recycled or / and safely discharged to the environment.

“The EPA licences have conditions and we constantly monitor our treatment processes and the discharge of treated effluent to our waterways. Any non-compliance is reportable and Council can be fined.”

“The scum reported on these beaches is from marine organic material not sewage or wastewater effluent,” Ms Jowett said.

Throughout the year, Council tests water from Tweed waterways to ensure that the water is safe to swim in.

In summer, the frequency of these bacteriological tests at popular swimming spots increases in line with swimming activity.

In the event that water quality is found to be unsafe, Council would close the swimming spot and post signs to advise the public of poor water quality.

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Caption: Scum on Tweed Coast beaches is marine organic matter.