Yarra Watch

EPA forecasts water quality for 4 sites along the Yarra River in partnership with Melbourne Water.

How forecasts are calculated

Melbourne Water test water samples for a bacteria found in faeces called E. coli.

E. coli is the best indicator for measuring pollution from faecal contamination in our rivers.

In poor water quality, bacteria may lead to illness. A common illness from swimming in poor quality water is gastroenteritis. 

EPA and Melbourne Water assess water quality against the Environment Reference Standard, which came into effect in 2021.

This ensures that Yarra Watch is more protective of health. Swimmers can have an even higher degree of confidence in our forecasts and swim advisories. The stricter standards will likely result in EPA advising that the water may not be safe for swimming more often. A higher number of ‘Poor’ forecasts and swim advisories does not necessarily mean that water quality is worse than in previous years.

Find out more about water quality standards.

Access the raw data from Data.Vic.