Coogee beach and Shelly beach in Manly have ranked among the Sydney swimming sites most polluted with faecal matter in the city, a government report has found.
About 21% of 249 swimming sites across NSW received a rating of “poor” or “very poor” in the 2024-25 NSW State of the Beaches report, part of an annual survey by the NSW department of environment.
As a blistering heat moved across the east coast on Wednesday, the NSW government was advising people to check its water quality monitor as rain could bring sudden changes in pollution levels.
The government has characterised its report, which saw measurements of microbial water quality taken at 31 new sites, as an improvement on last year. At least 23 beaches saw their water quality improve, while a further 179 kept their high score of “good” to “very good”, according to the results released on Wednesday.
Across 98 sites in Sydney, 20 received one of the bottom two ratings across five grades from “very good” to “very poor”. The ratings range from microbial water quality with “few potential sources of faecal pollution”, to a “high likelihood” of pollution, bringing significant risk to public health.
The government advises swimming should always be avoided at “very poor” sites, while “poor” sites are often unsuitable, especially after rain.
Foreshores beach, next to Sydney airport, and the Gymea Bay baths in Port Hacking were the only two Sydney sites to receive ratings of “very poor”, alongside Yosemite Creek in the Blue Mountains.
Among the Sydney beaches which received “poor” ratings were Coogee and Malabar beaches in Randwick LGA, Shelly beach in Manly, Rose Bay beach and the Murray Rose pool, all unchanged from last year.
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Bronte beach, which received a rating of “poor” last year, improved to a “good” rating this year, while Little Bay beach dropped to a “poor” rating.
There were 20 beaches in Sydney with highest rating of “very good”. Among them were South Curl Curl, Avalon, Whale and Palm beaches in the Northern Beaches, Cronulla’s Greenhills, Wanda, Elouera and North Cronulla beaches, Maroubra beach and Nielsen Park.
The NSW minister for climate change and energy, Penny Sharpe, said the report was “a really positive snapshot of our state’s water spots”.
“As a swimmer myself, I know first-hand how important it is that people continue to check the Beachwatch website for live updates on water pollution.”
The government’s Beachwatch program recommends staying out of the water when it’s raining and up to three days afterwards, or when it is “murky and littered with debris”.
Mark Taylor, the executive director of science and insights and the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy and the Environment and Water, said even pollution at “very poor” sites could vary at times.
“There will be times when Gymea Baths and Foreshores beach will be fine.”
About 95% of the 133 monitored ocean beaches in NSW scored between “good” and “very good” for water quality. Surf beach on the south coast was the only ocean beach outside Sydney to receive a “poor” rating.
Taylor said estuary, lake, river and lagoon swimming sites were more susceptible to stormwater and sewage treatment runoff after rainfall.
“Use the beach report, think about what you’re going to do down at the beach.’’
“It doesn’t matter if the water isn’t 100% perfect if you’re just making sandcastles,” he said. “If you’re doing laps, it does.”
