Council confirms “likely source” of red liquid in Lake Cathie stormwater drain

Water ran red in a stormwater drain in Lake Cathie on Tuesday, and unlike the extreme iron floc events in 2020, it had nothing to do with acid sulfate soils.

What happened? On Tuesday, November 18, environmental advocacy group Revive Lake Cathie posted on its Facebook page that “red stuff” had been noticed in the creek leading to the lily pond near Lake Cathie Community Hall.

• Port Macquarie-Hastings Council were notified and began investigating.

• The brightly discoloured water was observed in a stormwater drain near Abel Tasman Drive, Lake Cathie.

The likely cause: Council’s Environmental Health and Compliance team attended the site on November 18 and believe the likely source of the red-coloured liquid was untreated wash water from nearby high-pressure roof cleaning entering the stormwater system.

• Samples were taken and are currently being analysed.

Suctioned out: Council said a suction truck removed around 10,000 litres of “contaminated water” on Tuesday afternoon.

• “The area has since been flushed with clean water. Some discolouration may still be visible while the system clears” a council spokesperson wrote in a Facebook post.

• “We advise anyone to avoid contact with discoloured water in the area until it subsides”

What next: Council’s investigation into the discoloured water is ongoing. It is an offence in NSW to pollute waterways, and penalties may apply.

ℹ️ You can report pollution in your area via the council website:  https://www.pmhc.nsw.gov.au/Report-an-issue or call Customer Service on 02 6581 8111.

Thumbnail: Picture supplied Port Macquarie-Hastings Council.