Inlet open after contamination scare

The Leschenault Inlet is open to the public after being cleared of sewage contamination.

Bunbury City Council on Thursday closed the Stirling Street boat ramp and the Bunbury Power Boat Club and warned residents not swim or fish in the inlet.

But the ramps were opened on Friday though the council will still wait for the results of laboratory testing before people are allowed to swim.

The contamination fear can be traced back to a break in a wastewater pipe that caused sewage to leak into a stormwater drain last Tuesday.

While the Water Corporation contained the leak using bunds and then pumped out the wastewater, it was forced to remove the barriers because of last week's heavy rains.

Water Corporation South West regional manager John Janssen said the drain flows to the Leschenault Inlet via the Queens Park garden lake.

"The City of Bunbury has closed a section of the inlet between the Power Boat Club and Stirling Street Boat Ramp as a precaution, as it is possible water from the Queens Park Garden Lake may have traces of wastewater," Mr Janssen said on Thursday. "While it's unlikely that any significant amount of wastewater will enter the inlet, we support the City of Bunbury in taking a precautionary approach."

Mr Janssen said the Water Corporation took wastewater overflows seriously.

"Wastewater is 99.97 per cent water and comes mostly from showers, baths and washing machines," he said.

"We regret any community inconvenience caused by the wastewater overflows and response to any such incidents gets the highest priority."