Maroubra Beach: Baby wipes lead to sewage water warning

It is one of Sydney’s best loved beaches but for two weeks swimmers have been warned not to enter the water due to high levels of sewage – and the problem is not going away.

Maroubra Beach was closed briefly on Friday due to sewage overflow. Picture: Gary Hamilton- Irvine

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One of Sydney’s best-loved beaches is still being plagued by sewage problems – after a resident blocked local pipes with baby wipes.

The water quality deteriorated to such a level on Friday that Randwick Council briefly closed Maroubra Beach because of “high faecal counts”.

Signs were first put up by Sydney Water at the northern end of the beach two weeks ago next to the stormwater outlet pipe and remain up.

Sophie Sattler is a regular at Maroubra beach and saw the storm water drain taped off last week to prevent people swimming near the polluted water. Picture: Toby Zerna

The signage was removed briefly on Monday – leading to children playing in the water next to the outlet – but the council has confirmed the signs have since been put back up.

Despite the warnings, many surfers and swimmers have ignored the signs – or missed them completely – deciding rather to enjoy the water as the temperatures rise.

The cause of the contamination is believed to have originated from blockages on Yorktown Parade.

Sydney Water confirmed earlier this month that a serious blockage had been located on a private property near Maroubra Beach and “sewage overflows” had contaminated the stormwater system.

“We understand this private blockage relates to baby wipes in the pipes,” a Sydney Water spokeswoman said.

The beach was even closed on Friday as a result Picture: Toby Zerna

“Sydney Water takes this opportunity to remind customers to only flush the three Ps: poo, pee and paper.”

Sydney Water confirmed the ongoing contamination issues at the beach are believed to be linked to the same site on Yorktown Parade, which has had multiple blockages.

A Yorktown Parade resident, who did not want to be named, said a plumber and other workers were outside his unit block working into the night last week and fixing what appeared to be a sewage blockage.

The sewage overflow has left a trail down into a nearby stormwater drain on the street.

The sewage overflow left a trail into this stormwater drain.

The resident said he was at the beach surfing a few days later and could smell contaminated water.

“It was disgusting. You could smell it.”

Maroubra resident Sophie Sattler, 19, said despite the warnings it would not stop her from swimming at the beach.

“This is my favourite beach in the whole area,” she said.

“It has been quieter (at the beach) but I think that was mainly the fires and poor air quality keeping people away.”

She said she did not realise the water was contaminated.

The stormwater overflow pipe on the beach (pictured) flows into the ocean. Picture: Toby Zerna

“The air quality has been pretty bad so I did not really pay attention to the water quality,” she said.

She added that she thought the signs were simply a warning to children.

“I thought someone had fallen down the drain because you often see children playing around there.”

The signs at the stormwater outlet pipe at the beach state “this area may be affected by a sewage overflow … you are advised to avoid the area”.

The signs will remain on the beach as a precaution until the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) give the all clear.