Pittwater Online News

September 1 - 30, 2026: Issue 658

2025-2026 State of the Beaches Report Released

Avalon Beach, Pittwater, has the highest water quality rankings in NSW. Photo: A J Guesdon/PON, September 2026

The latest State of the Beaches report was released on Thursday September 24 and shows an overall improvement in water quality at monitored swimming sites across New South Wales in 2026, with 79 per cent of sites achieving a Very Good or Good rating.

Swimming sites that are part of the annual report are graded as Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor or Very Poor in accordance with the national health guidelines. Any locations that fall in the top-tier categories Very Good or Good are considered suitable for swimming almost all the time.

The improved statewide results were largely associated with drier weather conditions across many parts of NSW during the reporting period, which generally reduced stormwater runoff and pollution entering waterways.

Ocean beaches continued to record the strongest results statewide, with 97 per cent achieving a Very Good or Good rating.

Sydney's ocean beaches showed particularly strong results, increasing from 87 per cent with a Very Good or Good rating to 97 per cent, while Sydney Harbour improved from 78 per cent to 81 per cent.

Eight coastal beaches shared the highest water quality rankings in NSW this year:

Avalon Beach (Sydney's Pittwater)
Birdie Beach (Central Coast)
Forresters Beach (Central Coast)
Frazer Beach (Central Coast)
One Mile Beach (Hunter)
Warrain Beach (Shoalhaven)
Shellharbour Beach (Illawarra)
Wollongong City Beach (Illawarra)

Sue Martin OAM, a member of Avalon Preservation Association (residents group) explained, in regards to Avalon Beach high water quality ranking:

''We can thank the Avalon Preservation Association. When the then Warringah Shire Council decided to put stormwater drains out to the ocean from each beach, Garvon Kable, President of APA, spoke with the council staff and proposed draining the stormwater into the creek leading into the Careel Bay. It would thereby be filtered by mangroves, rather than just raw water flowing out onto Avalon Beach. Thus, unlike other beaches including Bilgola, Palm and Whale Beach, we don't have unsightly and prominent drains with, at times, rather suspect looking water defiling our beach.''

The number of estuarine sites that achieved a Very Good or Good score increased from 63 per cent to 69 per cent. Estuaries, lakes and lagoons typically record lower water quality than open ocean beaches because lower levels of water exchange can increase the time needed for pollution to disperse following rainfall events.

Since 1989, Beachwatch has helped people make informed decisions about where and when to swim by providing trusted water quality data from 245 monitored swimming locations across New South Wales. Always check the website for pollution updates before you go swimming: www.beachwatch.nsw.gov.au/home

The 2026 State of the Beaches report is available here: www.beachwatch.nsw.gov.au/stateOfTheBeaches

Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe said:

“Good environmental decisions rely on good science. Through decades of consistent monitoring, Beachwatch provides the robust data needed to track water quality trends and give swimmers confidence in the information they use.”

DCCEEW Executive Director of the Science and Insights Division, Professor Mark Taylor:

“The NSW Government provides real-time information for many popular swimming locations in NSW. This allows the community to make informed decisions on where and when to swim safely.

“All of this information is available on the Beachwatch.”

State of Local Beaches: 2026 Report

Classification: Advice

Very Good: Water quality monitoring and sanitary inspection indicate very good microbial water quality and few potential sources of faecal pollution. Water quality is suitable for swimming almost all of the time.

Good: Water quality monitoring and sanitary inspection indicate generally good microbial water quality, with several potential sources of faecal pollution. There is occasional increased risk to public health, particularly after rainfall. Water quality is suitable for swimming most of the time.

Fair: Water quality monitoring and sanitary inspection indicate fair microbial water quality, with potentially significant sources of faecal pollution. The likelihood of contamination increases particularly following rainfall. Water quality is often suitable for swimming, but caution is advised during and after rainfall, especially for young children, the elderly and those with compromised health.

Poor: Water quality monitoring and sanitary inspection indicate poor microbial water quality, with significant potential sources of faecal pollution. Water quality is often unsuitable for swimming. Always avoid swimming after rainfall or if there are signs of pollution, such as discoloured water, odour or floating debris.

Very Poor: Water quality monitoring and sanitary inspection indicate very poor microbial water quality and a high or very high likelihood of faecal contamination, and significant increase in the risk to public health. Water quality is unsuitable for swimming. Swimming should always be avoided.

A dig down into the data presented through the report records:

Pittwater Estuary: