More than 30 beaches in Victoria have been declared unsafe for swimming after heavy rainfall across the state.
The Environmental Protection Agency has assessed and assessed the water quality in Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay and rated it as ‘poor’.
No beach in the bay has been rated as safe for swimming, with the affected beaches stretching from Portsea to Mentone all the way to Altona.
A total of 36 beaches have been awarded this rating.
EPA chief environmental scientist Mark Taylor said the bay was often dirty and polluted after major weather events.
The water in Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay is rated ‘poor’ due to the presence of pollutants such as oil and feces
“When there’s heavy rain, everything gets washed into the river – vehicles, feces – it all ends up in the water system and into the ocean,” Taylor told AAP.
“Ultimately, it is a health-based warning for people not to be exposed to contamination.”
He said oil and debris, including pieces of wood, could be found in the water among the other mud.
Port Phillip’s beaches have been declared unsafe for swimming. Thirty-six beaches have no quality water
The contaminated water comes after a wave of heavy rain in Victoria, with the equivalent of a month’s worth of rain falling on Monday.
Some parts of the state recorded rainfall exceeding 150-year records.
Emergency services received more than 500 calls on Monday, including 117 flood-related problems and 267 reports of damage to buildings.
The far east and west were some of the hardest hit areas in Melbourne, and the city’s Olympic Park recorded 53mm of rain – more than the city’s average rainfall total for all of April.