Hinze Dam Closure

[rc@hinze]

Hi all. Just heard on the radio the Hinze has been closed for recreational use due to a E-Coli outbreak. Don't go to the trouble of travelling to it this weekend at least. Apparently you can drink the water but not fish in it!

Here is a copy of an article in the Gold Coast Bulletin website I just found.


" THE Hinze Dam has been closed to boaties, anglers and other recreational users after abnormal levels of the potentially deadly E. coli bacteria were found in the water.

Water testing by SEQ Water this week confirmed higher than normal levels of the bacteria in the untreated dam water.

Recreational access was closed yesterday as a precaution until further tests were carried out, with all water-based activities suspended.

E. coli is a bacterium with hundreds of different strains. It can be deadly to humans in high doses, while lower amounts may cause gastroenteritis-like symptoms such as abdominal cramping and diarrhoea.

SEQ Water CEO Peter Borrows stressed it did not affect the quality of drinking water on the Gold Coast.

He said that Queensland Health had advised SEQ Water to take a precautionary approach pending the outcome of a further series of water quality tests.

"E. coli occurs naturally in dams and weirs and is just a normal part of managing open water storage systems," he said."

- cheers Richard

[bdowdy]

holy s9-=-9t isnt hinze the gold coasts water supply...oh oh..brett

[bondy99]

Looks like someone forgot to wash their hands or some bugger had a dump in the water supply....so much for treated sewage water. HO HO HO. Merry Crappalus.

[yellahunter]

does anyone know how long they are talking about closing for....?

i had planned to fish there in the morning, Damn,
might have to hit Clarry Hall

[rc@hinze]

From the SEQWATER site media release section -

"The results of additional water quality testing are expected by the end of the week or early next week"

http://www.seqwater.com.au/public/news-publications/media-centre

-RC-

[Bad_Bazza]

Hmm,
Am I right to be highly suspicious.
SEQW wouldn't be using this as a means of closing the dam to recreational use?
NAAAA they would do that!
Would they???

Bad_Bazza

[rayken1938]

Its open again.
Print (javascript:printStory();) Email (http://www.abc.net.au/cgi-bin/common/mailto/mailto-nojs_query.pl?http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fnews%2 Fstories%2F2009%2F10%2F30%2F2728925.htm) Share (javascript:shareStory();) Add to My Stories (javascript:void(0);)
Hinze Dam water sports get all-clear

By Charmaine Kane
Posted 6 hours 8 minutes ago

Map: Nerang 4211 (http://www.abc.net.au/news/maps/map.htm?lat=-27.991&long=153.3353&caption=Nerang%204211)

People can fish, sail and kayak on the Hinze Dam in the Gold Coast hinterland once more but swimming remains banned.
SEQ Water has outlawed recreational activities at the Gold Coast's main water source for the past two weeks while it investigated unusually high levels of E. coli bacteria.
The authority's Mike Foster says Queensland Health took samples at the dam late yesterday and gave the all-clear for water sports to resume.
"They have gone back to what our guys describe effectively as very background low levels, sort of under the 10 point count," he said.
"At the beginning of this bloom certain pockets had numbers upwards of sort of 150,000 to 200,000 so it has dropped back very, very significantly."


Cheers
Ray