A popular lake in Adelaide’s city center has been closed off after high levels of E.coli were discovered in the water.
On Christmas Day, signs were erected at Torrens Lake at Possum Park in Adelaide’s CBD, warning visitors to avoid contact with the polluted water.
It’s understood the water has been contaminated with Escherichia coli (E-coli), a bacteria found in almost all human and animal guts that is commonly discovered in feces.
Adelaide Deputy Lord Mayor Keiran Snape informed residents the “reduced” water quality was likely driven by “elevated times of heat.”
“The signage is in place to inform users and those visiting the space to avoid contact,” he said.
Snape said further testing on the water is set to take place on Friday to “help inform the next steps as the City of Adelaide actively works towards reducing pollution levels in the Torrens noting the upcoming New Year’s Eve activities.”
According to the social media post by the Adelaide Park Lands Association, there have been “no updates on the City of Adelaide website nor Facebook about the duration” of the lake closure.
While Popeye River Cruises continued to operate on the water, paddle boats temporarily ceased operations while the water improvement work was underway.
A spokesperson for the City of Adelaide told NewsWire there was no update on the recent water testing, but confirmed Bonython Park.
Lake and Veale Gardens had also experienced levels of E.coli which “exceeded the secondary contact threshold”.
“As a precaution, both areas were closed until further testing confirmed that the levels had dropped below the acceptable threshold,” the spokesperson said.
“Both areas still have reading exceeding acceptable levels, and this precaution has now been extended to Torrens Lake (tested at +4 locations), Rymill Park Lake, and Himeji Lake which have returned levels of E. coli and Enterococci again exceeding the secondary contact threshold.”
While E.coli is present in all human bodies, contact with the bacteria can cause illness and food poisoning symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, and a urinary tract infection.
More serious illnesses may include pneumonia, meningitis, and inflammation of the gallbladder.
NewsWire has contacted the City of Adelaide for further updates.
