Polluted beaches: Health warnings push water sports under

Water sports bodies scramble to find alternative venues for regular activities
Shobana Kesava & Daryl Tan, Straits Times 2 Aug 08;

WATER sports organisations are in a tizzy after receiving advisories about unhealthy water quality at two popular areas.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) warned on Wednesday that the waters off Pasir Ris Beach and in Marina Reservoir are unsafe for those sports where total immersion is likely. These include wakeboarding, waterskiing and swimming.

Even sports with less water contact are affected. Kayaking, canoeing and dragon boating, for example, require capsize tests, where athletes must swim back to shore with boats in tow, among other things.

Such tests are a definite no-no in light of the health advisory, which said high levels of a type of bacteria normally found in the faeces of warm-blooded animals were present in the two areas. The bacteria could cause illnesses such as diarrhoea and conjunctivitis.

The loss of Marina Bay as a watersports venue hits enthusiasts hardest. Waterskiers, wakeboarders, canoeists - all are affected. 'It's a headache,' said Mr Henry Sim, secretary of the Singapore Canoe Federation, whose 35 affiliates handle about 30,000 canoeists a year.

Mr Paul Fong, programme director with the Singapore Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (SWWF), said the organisation has had to move all its activities to Bedok Reservoir.

SWWF has about 50 wakeboard and ski enthusiasts attending its Marina Reservoir courses every weekend. Organisations like the Singapore Canoe Federation plan to meet PUB officials next Wednesday to come up with a Plan B.

Said Mr Sim: 'We will ask if we can carry our canoes out to the sea, across the pontoon on the marina; it's designed for it.'

Until a decision is made, the federation will conduct its activities at Changi Point or off East Coast Park.

Over at Pasir Ris Beach, the People's Association's (PA) Water-Venture will need to make adjustments. Kayaking and sailing are now carried out there, said Mr Tan Mong Kiang, its assistant director of recreation. Capsize tests will now have to be done at one of the other seven PA outlets, probably Changi.

While organisations are beside themselves trying to heed the advisory, individuals, it seems, could care less.

All eight people spotted by The Straits Times at Pasir Ris Beach yesterday said they did not think the problem is serious and would not curb activities there, which include wading.

Said Mr Isaac Loh, 25, a training officer: 'It's not that dangerous as long as nobody submerges in the water for too long.

'If the water was really that dirty, then all water activities would have been stopped.'

Most beaches and reservoirs score well
Straits Times 2 Aug 08;

THE National Environment Agency (NEA) has rated the beaches and the national water agency, PUB, has done the same for the reservoirs.

Tests were done for the bacteria called enterococcus, which is found in the faeces of warm-blooded animals, including humans.

To 'pass' the test, the level of enterococcus cannot hit or exceed 200 counts for every 100ml of water more than 5 per cent of the time.

If the water at a beach or reservoir scores more than 200, the agencies will advise against all water activities involving immersion, such as swimming, skiing and wakeboarding.

Reservoir waters are subject to an additional test for chlorophyll-a, a pigment found in blue-green algae, the level of which cannot hit or exceed 50 micrograms per litre.

NEA rated the following beaches, all with bacteria counts of between 40 and 200, 'good' and suitable for swimming:

# Seletar Island,

# Sembawang Park,

# Changi and

# East Coast Park.

Sentosa, with a bacteria count of under 40, was rated 'very good'. Pasir Ris, with a bacteria count of 200 to 500, managed only a 'fair' rating. Signs have gone up there advising against swimming.

PUB, which tested reservoir water over three years, said all passed the enterococcus test except Marina Reservoir, which has been monitored for just over a year. All also passed the chlorophyll-a test.

Pasir Ris catch safe, says AVA
Straits Times 2 Aug 08;

ANGLERS at Pasir Ris need not fear that their catch is contaminated with the enterococcus bacteria commonly associated with the faeces of warm-blooded animals such as birds, rats or humans.

The Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said the seafood is safe, but advises those who engage in recreational fishing to wash and cook their catch before consumption, irrespective of where it is caught. The AVA said the bacteria does not affect fish as much, and any bacteria on the skin can be killed by cooking.

The AVA conducts regular spot checks at its fish farms 350m from the shore for bacteria, which can harm humans when consumed through seafood.

Farmers contacted said they were not concerned by the advisory, adding that the waters had not changed in the decade or more they had worked on the farms at sea.

'Sometimes, the sea is so polluted at low tide it turns black, but the fish have never had bacterial infections,' said Mr Goh Khoon Heng, 53.

Marine biologist Beverly Goh said those who fish for filter feeders such as mussels and clams should be more careful as, unlike fish, they can retain bacteria and be harmful when consumed.

'These are generally safe to buy because they must be placed in clean sea water for up to 48 hours to cleanse their systems before they are sold in the market,' she said.

Fishing for sport is only allowed in designated areas of the Bedok, MacRitchie, Lower Seletar and Pandan reservoirs, but not at the Marina Reservoir, where the water quality is not good.

Steps taken to ensure water around Marina Bay remains clean
Lip Kwok Wai/Heather Tan, Channel NewsAsia 1 Jul 08;


SINGAPORE : With National Day drawing near, Singapore's national water agency PUB is ensuring the water around the Marina Bay remains clean.

In the last two weeks, it has deployed more manpower and boats to patrol the area.

CCTV cameras have also been set up at Marina Bay, the Singapore River and Kallang River to help officials keep an eye on things.

And to prevent any potential pollution from construction work at the nearby integrated resort, filters have been set up to prevent unwanted sand and soil from being discharged into the bay. - CNA/ms