Victoria’s environment watchdog will test water and soil in flood-hit communities across the state to help with clean-up efforts.
The Environmental Protection Authority’s chief environmental scientist,Professor Mark Taylor,said the watchdog had already started testing floodwaters in Melbourne’s inner west.
“By testing the flood water and soil we get a better understanding of any potential contamination issues,especially in those areas the hardest hit by the floods,” Taylor said today.
Extra water quality monitors were placed in the Maribyrnong River and results would feed into a new website to on the EPA website,he said.
“Our Maribyrnong River E. coli results from yesterday have come back low,however we know that floodwaters carry a range of risks,including bacteria,so we recommend continuing to avoid contact with waters,” Taylor said.
EPA officers have already started going door to door to collect soil samples in Maribyrnong and individual results will be given directly to property owners.
Overall results would be passed on to councils to help inform clean-up efforts,Taylor said.
The samples will be analysed for E. coli,trace elements such as metals,and organic chemicals such as PFAS and petroleum hydrocarbons.
“We understand this is a difficult time for many Victorians and we will continue to provide information that can be used to reduce the risks they face,” Taylor said.
The testing would be rolled out across to other flood-hit parts of the state,he said.