Logan River residents brace for test results after state’s largest sewage waste leak washes into river systems

Logan River residents and businesses are anxiously waiting for test results after the state’s largest sewage leak swamped local waterways forcing health authorities to ban eating river catches.

Signs warning fishers not to eat their catches taken from Logan River. Picture: Judith Kerr

Prawn farms on the Logan River have ceased operations and remain under a state government suspension after one of the largest sewage leaks in the state’s history.

Clean-up and maintenance operations were underway along the river on the weekend after the significant sewage leak left local businesses and residents concerned about potential health risks and environmental impacts.

Millions of litres of PFAS synthetic chemicals, which can cause health defects, were released into the waterways as a result of a “significant” sewage spill from a Gold Coast treatment plant this month.

It was estimated that more than 360 mega litres of sewage was leaked into the waterway.

Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances, known as PFAS, were also present in the leak in trace concentrations.

Gold Coast City Council was working with environmental regulators including Safe Food Queensland following the contamination into the Albert and Logan rivers from an underground pipe at an industrial estate near Yatala Pies.

The multi-agency review underway is designed to ascertain any human health risks.

Queensland Health erected signs on Friday alerting people not to eat the fish taken from the contaminated water at boat ramps and fishing spots along the Logan River in Logan.

Gold Coast City Council signs were also erected in Logan City Council parkland along the river.

The caution sign warning of the sewage spill in to the Logan River. Pictures: Judith Kerr

The signs sparked fears that the contamination posed serious health threats to people who have come in contact with the water.

Five prawn farms suspended production indefinitely because of the contamination.

Truloff Farm Prawns, Gold Coast Marine and DS Rossman Farms on the Logan River have been banned from pumping water from the river into their holding ponds, days before harvesting their current annual crop.

Queensland Health, Gold Coast City Council and Food Safety Queensland all refused to detail how dangerous the contaminated water was to humans until a further round of tests were analysed.

Farmers, also left waiting for the test results from samples taken from their farms, said they did not know if they would return to production before the end of the season next month.

One farmer, who did not want to be identified, said farms were freezing catches until they were given the green light to continue production.

He said it was too early to tell whether the disaster was on a par with the 2016 outbreak of white spot disease.

White Spot gutted the industry for more than two years after all riverfront prawn farms were forced to ditch all product, empty all their tanks and flush ponds with chlorine.

Farmers were given federal government compensation but the disease forced two farms out of business.

Australian Prawn Farmers Association executive officer Kim Hooper refused to say whether the contaminated water had serious health implications for humans.

She also did not comment on whether there would be compensation for the prawn farmers if they were forced to ditch the contaminated prawns.

“We are waiting on test results from the experts including Queensland Health, Gold Coast City Council, Safe Foods Queensland,” she said.

Logan River resident Ken Thomas said the latest river contamination was concerning for residents who had railed against a new fourth sewerage plant being built on the river at Redland Bay.

“We have another treatment plant being built on the Logan River and this makes us very nervous as we want to ensure it is built to best practice standards,” Mr Thomas said.

“The untreated sewage flowed into Albert River which joins the Logan River just upstream from where we live.

“It shows what happens if accidents unexpectedly occur. We are worried that another major incident like this might occur at the Southern Redlands Waste Water Treatment Plant, which is being constructed in wetlands and right on the river.”

Gold Coast City Council said initial testings results indicated that the water was safe for recreational use.

A sewage leak has spread into the Logan River. Picture: Judith Kerr

“Given the duration and volume of the spill, the council is supporting Safe Food Queensland to engage with the Aquaculture industry to assess any impacts to their operations,” a spokesman said.

“We are also working with landowners and businesses in the area which may have been impacted by the spill.”

Residents were sent letters from the Gold Coast Council alerting them to results from testing last week which confirmed the river was safe for recreational activity.

The council said it had notified the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation of the sewage spill at Yatala on April 9 but advised the department the spill may have occurred over a longer period of time than first suspected.

The Environment Department said it immediately called an investigation and started its own testing on April 12.

“Department compliance officers are continuing to investigate the cause, duration and impacts of the spill, and are liaising with the council to ensure all necessary steps are taken to address any ongoing risks,” an Environment Department spokesman said.

Gold Coast Health said the council advised it of a “significant sewage spill” from council infrastructure on April 12, three days after the incident.

The Gold Coast council is assessing water quality and any potential risks in consultation with the Gold Coast Public Health Unit, Safe Food Production Queensland, and the Department of Environmental Science and Innovation.

Safe Food Queensland, which is the lead food safety agency for the aquaculture industry, and the Gold Coast Public Health Unit are both assessing impacts on the prawn farms.