High faecal coliform counts have been found at Park Street in Bowraville and some upstream sites.
Acceptable standards are:
1. Drinking water – The drinking water standard is less than 1 colony of Total Coliform Bacteria/100ml with E coli absent
2. Swimming in fresh or marine waters the median faecal coliform density over the swimming season should not exceed 150 faecal coliform organisms /100 ml
Swimming in waters with high levels of faecal coliform bacteria increases the chance of developing illness (fever, nausea, or stomach cramps) from pathogens entering the body through the mouth, nose, ears, or cuts in the skin