CONTENTS

Introduction
Sewers seaward
Toothless watchdog
Toxic fish
Sewer-side surfing
Public relations battle
Events of 1989
Beyond Sydney
Conclusion
Bibliography

‘Ten thousand sewers could not pollute the ocean’

The Bondi outfall at Ben Buckler had been completed in 1889 and complaints about pollution had been treated in the same way as those about the sewage farm. In 1904 Water Board inspector MacKenzie argued that the sewage deposited along the length of Bondi Beach must have come from passing ships. The Board’s Engineer-in-chief argued that such sewage deposits were rare and unavoidable. They continued to deny the pollution of Bondi Beach while the Long Bay outfall was constructed and there were further denials when it was decided, in 1916, to site a third major outfall at North Head. This would serve the northern suburbs and suburbs as far west of the city as Parramatta. Again, there was no intention of treating the sewage before discharge and warnings about pollution were disregarded.

Who has been Responsible for Sewerage in Sydney?

1842-54 Sydney City Council

1854-57 Three government-appointed Commissioners

1858-88 Sydney City Council advised by Sydney City and Suburban Sewage and Hea1th Board from 1875

1888-1924 Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board with The Public Works Department (construction of major schemes)

Membership of Board in 1888
three government appointees including the President
two members elected by Sydney City Council—‘City Members’
two members elected by suburban councils—‘Suburban Members’

l925-83 Metropolitan Water, Sewerage and Drainage Board

Membership of Board in 1925
President—government-appointed
+l7 elected representatives of nine regions, voted in by Mayors and Aldermen of municipal councils and Presldents and Councillors of shire councils.

1983-87 The Metropolitan Water, Sewerage and Drainage Board

l987-present The Water Board

Membership of Board in 1983 to the present
General Manager of the Board appointed by the Governor
part-time Chairperson—government-appointed
five part-time government appointees
one part-time member elected by employees of the Board

Note that the Board is now largely made up by government appointment rather than election

That the Board could ignore such warnings was greatly facilitated by the sewerage engineers, who always managed to show that the sewage would be prevented from reaching the beaches because of a southerly current or some other factor. Floats were frequently used by sewerage engineers to determine currents and tides; they were weighted so that they were not directly influenced by wind direction. This emphasis on ocean currents allowed engineers to pronounce the outfalls at Bondi, Long Bay and North Head well suited to sewage discharge because of a prevailing southerly current off the coast. In each case the public, especially local residents and beachgoers: were less convinced about the southerly current. The sewage in the Harbour had been supposed to be carried off by currents, as was the garbage and offal disposed of at sea, much of which made its way back to the beaches, especially Manly. Fishermen and locals who knew the sea also knew that currents were not the only forces acting upon ocean debris.

Sewage tends to rise to the surface of the sea and travel in the direction of the winds. Considering that the sewerage engineers of the day were well aware of this, they went to extraordinary lengths to minimise the influence of the wind on the floats in their experiments and to ignore surface currents. This enabled them to play down the probability of beach pollution due to on-shore winds.

Throughout several years of expensive public campaigning against beach pollution, government authorities continued to deny it was a problem. The southerly current took care of it. And so did dilution. One Metropolitan Health Officer maintained that the Pacific Ocean was so enormous that any serious pollution would be a mere drop in the bucket. The Evening News of 25 March 1929 concurred: ‘There is commonsense, as well as scientific certainty, in that opinion, for ten thousand Bondi sewers could not pollute the immeasurable and immemorial ocean.’ In 1936 the Water Board’s Engineer-in-chief stated: ‘It may be accepted on present knowledge that dilution by sea water, unlimited in extent, such as occurs on the Sydney Coastline, by discharge in the open Pacific Ocean, renders sewage innocuous to health.’

The Board and its engineers had first predicted that the outfalls would not cause pollution. Then they denied that pollution occurred once they were built. Passing ships and bathers themselves were blamed for debris on the beach and sewage in the water. Pollution could not possibly have come from the outfalls because of the southerly current. The Board was aided in this deception by other government departments, particularly government health officials. Certain politicians perpetrated the myths. One told parliament that garbage dumped at sea did not wash up and that garbage on the beaches was caused by picnickers ‘who in some cases had buried it under the sand, so that it was washed up later by the tide’ (13/3/29).