Yarra Watch
Yarra Watch helps you decide when and where to swim in the Yarra River
Map pins are available via the tab key in a list after the map.
You can pan the map with the keyboard arrows.
Map pins are available via the tab key in a list after the map.
You can pan the map with the keyboard arrows.
EPA forecasts water quality for 4 sites along the Yarra River in partnership with Melbourne Water.
EPA also issues alerts when there is an issue affecting a waterbody in Victoria.
Yarra Watch season is now closed. Always check for signs of pollution before you swim.
Avoid swimming near stormwater or river outlets 24-48 hours after heavy rain.
Suitable for swimming
May not be suitable for swimming
Not suitable for swimming
City bylaws prevent swimming
Forecast data unavailable
For healthy swimming:
Good means water quality is probably suitable for swimming.
Fair means water quality may not be suitable for swimming. Check for signs of pollution before you swim. For example; stormwater drains flowing, murky water, bad smell, and rubbish.
Poor means water quality is probably not suitable for swimming.
Children, older people and people with a weakened immune system are most at risk of getting sick from polluted water.
You can view recent sampling results for Yarra Watch sites at DataVic.
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. You should see your doctor if you suspect you are unwell from swimming.
We assess water quality against the State Environment Protection Policy (SEPP) (Waters), which came into effect in 2018.
These standards are more stringent than standards we used previously. This ensures that Yarra Watch is more protective of health. This means 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.
Reviewed 21 January 2021