‘Stay out of the water’: Aussies warned not to swim at beaches due to sewage leak from Cadbury factory
- Replies 3
As the sun beats down and the waves beckon, it's a pastime to hit the beach for a refreshing dip.
But for residents and visitors of Hobart, this summer ritual has been marred by an unexpected and rather unsavoury development.
The culprit? A sweet disaster that's turned the local waters into a no-go zone.
In a startling turn of events, the Cadbury chocolate factory has inadvertently caused a bitter situation.
The Claremont-based factory, owned by Mondelez International, has been linked to a significant environmental issue that's knocked out a local sewage treatment plant, leading to water contamination that's affecting many of Hobart's beloved beaches.
The 'do not swim' advisory, issued by TasWater, spanned a considerable stretch of the River Derwent, from Austins Ferry and Old Beach in the north to Sandy Bay and Howrah in the south.
This warning comes at a time when the public school holidays have just begun, and families were eager to enjoy the outdoors.
The timing couldn't be worse, with the mercury hitting a pleasant 25 degrees Celsius, a perfect day for beachgoers that's now been spoiled.
Public health officials have raised the alarm, cautioning that swimming in these contaminated waters could lead to a host of unpleasant health issues, including diarrhoea, vomiting, and infections affecting the skin, ears, and eyes.
Dr Mark Veitch, Public Health Director, has been clear in his advice: 'We're advising people to stay out of the water is the short answer.’
‘Sewage in water used for recreational activities like swimming poses a risk to health from viruses and bacteria.’
The cause of this environmental hiccup? A 'big hit of sugar' from the Cadbury factory, which has proven lethal to the bacteria at the Cameron Bay Sewage Treatment Plant.
These bacteria are essential for breaking down and treating waste, and without them, the plant is effectively out of commission.
The result is untreated sewage waste flowing into the river and compromising the quality of the water at nearby beaches.
Matt Balfe, TasWater General Manager, expressed his disappointment, saying,
‘To put it really simply, we received a lot of sugar—big hit of sugar—from their factory into the treatment plant. And it's actually killed the bugs that treat sewage.’
‘It's disappointing this has significantly impacted the river, particularly at a time of the year we know Hobartians gather around the water to swim and spend time with their friends and families.’
‘We share their frustration.’
The Environmental Protection Authority has warned that the issue won't be a quick fix.
"We don't have monitoring results on the rest of the Derwent that tell us what the water quality is like after this spill," Veitch said.
He mentioned that additional testing results were anticipated over the weekend.
‘It's a slightly unusual situation to have ongoing spillage into a water source. Often it's just a one-off event.’
‘They have to re-establish the bacteria—that could take days or weeks. I'm not an expert, but it certainly won't be quick,’ Director Wes Ford said.
This is not a simple one-off event but an ongoing spillage that requires careful management and resolution.
‘We have been working with Mondelez over the last three weeks in an effort to bring them into compliance and address the deterioration in performance we have been seeing at our plant,’ Balfe said.
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) has consistently raised concerns about the management of trade waste at the Cadbury site.
Union Secretary Jacob Batt noted that production at the site had to be temporarily halted in July due to the detection of elevated hydrogen sulfide levels in the Claremont area.
‘In terms of whether there is hydrogen sulfide at the site, that's something that we will be investigating today—that is what occurred last time when the bugs were killed,’ he said.
The union revealed that it identified Cadbury as the source of the issue through its own investigation, using the right to information.
A Mondelez spokesperson stated that the health and safety of the community and environment were its ‘upmost priorities’.
‘We have recently undertaken a $3 million upgrade of Mondelez International's wastewater treatment plant, which prepares milk solids and other manufacturing byproducts for safe disposal,’ the spokesperson said.
‘We are working vigorously and collaboratively with TasWater to fully investigate and resolve the matter.’
As the situation unfolds, Public Health will continue to provide updates, and TasWater expects to see 'improved performance' from the Cadbury factory in the coming days.
Have you been affected by the 'do not swim' advisory in Hobart? Share your experiences and thoughts with us in the comments below.
But for residents and visitors of Hobart, this summer ritual has been marred by an unexpected and rather unsavoury development.
The culprit? A sweet disaster that's turned the local waters into a no-go zone.
In a startling turn of events, the Cadbury chocolate factory has inadvertently caused a bitter situation.
The Claremont-based factory, owned by Mondelez International, has been linked to a significant environmental issue that's knocked out a local sewage treatment plant, leading to water contamination that's affecting many of Hobart's beloved beaches.
People were warned not to swim due to high bacteria levels on Hobart beaches. Credit: Our Tasmania Website
The 'do not swim' advisory, issued by TasWater, spanned a considerable stretch of the River Derwent, from Austins Ferry and Old Beach in the north to Sandy Bay and Howrah in the south.
This warning comes at a time when the public school holidays have just begun, and families were eager to enjoy the outdoors.
The timing couldn't be worse, with the mercury hitting a pleasant 25 degrees Celsius, a perfect day for beachgoers that's now been spoiled.
Public health officials have raised the alarm, cautioning that swimming in these contaminated waters could lead to a host of unpleasant health issues, including diarrhoea, vomiting, and infections affecting the skin, ears, and eyes.
Dr Mark Veitch, Public Health Director, has been clear in his advice: 'We're advising people to stay out of the water is the short answer.’
‘Sewage in water used for recreational activities like swimming poses a risk to health from viruses and bacteria.’
The cause of this environmental hiccup? A 'big hit of sugar' from the Cadbury factory, which has proven lethal to the bacteria at the Cameron Bay Sewage Treatment Plant.
These bacteria are essential for breaking down and treating waste, and without them, the plant is effectively out of commission.
The result is untreated sewage waste flowing into the river and compromising the quality of the water at nearby beaches.
Matt Balfe, TasWater General Manager, expressed his disappointment, saying,
‘To put it really simply, we received a lot of sugar—big hit of sugar—from their factory into the treatment plant. And it's actually killed the bugs that treat sewage.’
‘It's disappointing this has significantly impacted the river, particularly at a time of the year we know Hobartians gather around the water to swim and spend time with their friends and families.’
‘We share their frustration.’
The Environmental Protection Authority has warned that the issue won't be a quick fix.
"We don't have monitoring results on the rest of the Derwent that tell us what the water quality is like after this spill," Veitch said.
He mentioned that additional testing results were anticipated over the weekend.
‘It's a slightly unusual situation to have ongoing spillage into a water source. Often it's just a one-off event.’
‘They have to re-establish the bacteria—that could take days or weeks. I'm not an expert, but it certainly won't be quick,’ Director Wes Ford said.
This is not a simple one-off event but an ongoing spillage that requires careful management and resolution.
‘We have been working with Mondelez over the last three weeks in an effort to bring them into compliance and address the deterioration in performance we have been seeing at our plant,’ Balfe said.
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) has consistently raised concerns about the management of trade waste at the Cadbury site.
Union Secretary Jacob Batt noted that production at the site had to be temporarily halted in July due to the detection of elevated hydrogen sulfide levels in the Claremont area.
‘In terms of whether there is hydrogen sulfide at the site, that's something that we will be investigating today—that is what occurred last time when the bugs were killed,’ he said.
The union revealed that it identified Cadbury as the source of the issue through its own investigation, using the right to information.
A Mondelez spokesperson stated that the health and safety of the community and environment were its ‘upmost priorities’.
‘We have recently undertaken a $3 million upgrade of Mondelez International's wastewater treatment plant, which prepares milk solids and other manufacturing byproducts for safe disposal,’ the spokesperson said.
‘We are working vigorously and collaboratively with TasWater to fully investigate and resolve the matter.’
As the situation unfolds, Public Health will continue to provide updates, and TasWater expects to see 'improved performance' from the Cadbury factory in the coming days.
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