Tag: water corp

Second Swan River sewage spill in a month shuts out fishers again

Another sewage spill in the Swan River, the second in less than a month, has again triggered health warnings not to fish or consume fish or crabs from affected waters between Guildford Road Bridge and Reg Bond Reserve in Viveash until further notice.

According to the Water Corporation, the latest spill was caused by a burst wastewater main in Caversham, leading to back-ups and three overflows into the river.

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “Two sewage spills in the Swan River in just 30 days is simply not good enough.

“Perth is a modern city in 2025, and yet we’re still seeing untreated human waste entering one of our most iconic waterways. This isn’t just an environmental issue, it’s a failure of essential public infrastructure.”

Communication with Recfishwest has improved since the last incident – with a notification and map (see below) of the affected area provided within 24 hours and there is a dedicated Water Corp webpage with updates on the spill which you can see here.

Area of Swan River affected by the latest spill.

However, the response still only meets the bare minimum of what West Aussies should expect from a publicly-funded agency entrusted with managing our water.

“We welcome the improved communication, but West Aussies deserve more than the bare minimum. What we need is a concrete plan to fix the systemic issues causing these overflows and protect a river that is central to our way of life,” said Andrew.

Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti acknowledged community concerns, stating, “This is not something that we want to see, or is acceptable, so we will continue to work with Water Corporation to see what else we can do in relation to making sure we prevent these types of spillages.”

Andrew added, “We are pleased to see senior members of Government step in, but the community expects accountability and proactive investment in wastewater infrastructure to stop these incidents at their source.”

Recfishwest continues to call for:

• Greater investment in modern, reliable wastewater infrastructure.
• Stronger and more transparent communication protocols for all river users.
• A clear, coordinated plan to prevent future environmental harm.

For more information and updates, visit Water Corporation’s incident page or contact ssalert@health.wa.gov.au for public health enquiries.

Health warnings lifted after Swan River sewage overflows – but communication failures remain a serious concern

The Department of Health (DoH) say it’s now safe to fish and eat fish and shellfish from parts of the Swan River impacted by recent sewage overflows because of burst Water Corp wastewater pipes.

No fishing signs have now been removed following confirmation from the Department of Health that water samples have returned to “relative/normal” background levels.

The signs had been installed in response to sewage overflows into the river over a fortnight ago caused by burst wastewater pipes in Spearwood and Hamilton Hill. Affected locations included areas near Dunkley Avenue (Applecross), Burke Drive (Alfred Cove), and Fremantle Sailing Club.

While we welcome confirmation that the immediate health risk has passed, Recfishwest remains deeply concerned about the way this incident was handled and communicated to the public — particularly to recreational fishers.

Fishers and local community members weren’t impressed with the lack of urgency, maps of affected areas or updates from Water Corp regarding the sewage leak and the minimal signage warning people to steer clear, with many left confused as to when they could return to fish for popular Swan River species such as flounder and flathead.

“It is unacceptable that the Water Corporation took so long to contact us about this serious incident,” said Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland. “They’ve since apologised and blamed inter-agency communication failures — but that’s not good enough when our health and waterways are at risk.

“The Swan River is a treasured urban fishing haven – incidents should not occur like this in the first place. But if they do – timely, accurate information shared with fishers must be a priority as a bare minimum.

“We expect much better from agencies entrusted with protecting our environment and public health.”

While some physical signage was placed at affected locations, Recfishwest believes this response fell short of what is required when public health and community confidence are at risk.

In addition, Recfishwest is keen to understand what Water Corp is going to be doing to mitigate the impacts of the sewage overflows on the Swan River environment and our fishing experiences.

We will continue to press the agencies involved on these issues to ensure they remain accountable and fulfil their obligations to the thousands of WA fishers who fish the Swan River.

Sewage overflows in Swan River – fishers left in the dark

Recfishwest is calling for urgent improvements in how Government agencies communicate health risks to fishers following a series of sewage overflows into the Swan River over the weekend. 

Burst wastewater pipes in Spearwood and Hamilton Hill led to discharges into parts of the river, prompting warnings from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) to avoid fishing and crabbing in areas near Dunkley Avenue (Applecross), Burke Drive (Alfred Cove) and Fremantle Sailing Club. 

However, the lack of clear and timely public communication has frustrated Recfishwest and others in the recreational fishing community. 

“It is unacceptable that Water Corporation took so long to contact us about this serious incident,” said Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland. “It has since apologised and blamed poor communication between Government agencies for the delay — but frankly, that’s not good enough when public health and our waterways are at risk. 

“The Swan River is a treasured urban fishing haven – incidents should not occur like this in the first place. But if they do – timely, accurate information shared with fishers must be a priority as a bare minimum. 

“We expect much better from agencies entrusted with protecting our environment and public health.” 

While some physical signage has been placed at affected locations, Recfishwest believes this response fell short of what is required when public health and community confidence are at risk. 

The affected areas of the Swan River sewage leak frequently see mums, dads and kids fishing for species such as mulloway, tailor, bream, flounder and flathead (pictured).

Where not to fish 

According to DPIRD’s advice, fishers should avoid fishing or crabbing in the following locations for the time being: 

  • Dunkley Avenue, Applecross 
  • Burke Drive, Alfred Cove 
  • Fremantle Sailing Club 

Recfishwest has requested maps and clarification on exclusion zones from relevant authorities and will share this information with the community as soon as it becomes available. 

Need more information? 

The Department of Health has confirmed it will field public queries related to recreational fishing and water use. Please email ssalert@health.wa.gov.au for more details or health advice. 

We’ll continue to press for better coordination between agencies and clearer communication to the public to ensure events like this are handled more effectively in the future.