Monitoring our waterways
Council monitor the ecological health of all our estuaries to track water quality and long-term trends. This helps us understand current conditions and target actions that improve the health of our coastal waterways.
Water quality monitoring on the Central Coast
Our Environmental Management team routinely monitor the health of our lakes, lagoons, rivers, creeks and beaches. These monitoring programs help us understand past and current conditions, identify where we need to focus our management actions and determine long-term trends in water quality and ecological health. The on-site water testing data provides information on water chemistry, nutrient concentrations and biological indicators helping us to assess the overall health and resilience of each area.
- Monthly water quality monitoring at 34 sites
- Annual seagrass monitoring at 17 locations
- Data covers water clarity, algae, nutrients, and seagrass health
- Aligned with NSW Estuary Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Protocols for statewide comparison
- Delivered in partnership with the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).
2025 Waterways Report Card
The 2025 Waterways Report Card is an assessment of the ecological health of our local waterways.
It grades water quality at 34 sites across the region, looking at factors like water chemistry, nutrients and biological indicators.
These grades help track changes and guide management to keep our waterways healthy.
Key findings
- 79% of sites achieved Excellent (A) or Good (B) grades (up from 44% last year)
- 18 sites improved, 15 remained stable, 1 declined
- Major improvements in Tuggerah Lakes, Brisbane Water, Mullet Creek, Wamberal and Avoca Lagoons
- Terrigal Lagoon declined due to frequent openings and heavy rainfall
- Seagrass depth range decreased at most sites, likely due to high rainfall during the growing season
- Lake Macquarie sites maintained Excellent grades for the eighth consecutive year
Estuary Report Cards 2025
In partnership with the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) and local Councils, these report cards provide comprehensive information on individual estuaries and lagoon systems across the Central Coast.
Each card offers deeper insights than the regional summary, including local water quality and ecological health data.
This information supports informed management decisions and helps raise community awareness about the condition of our waterways
Beachwatch NSW
Council monitors and reports on the water quality at 48 swimming sites, including 30 ocean beaches, 11 lake/estuary netted baths, 4 coastal lagoons and 3 ocean baths.
Samples are collected and tested for Enterococci, which are a group of bacteria commonly found in the faecal matter of warm-blooded animals. These bacteria indicate potential stormwater and/or sewage contamination.
The test results are used to determine if the site is suitable for swimming. Monitoring is completed year-round, with 31 sites tested weekly between October-April and monthly between May-September and another 17 sites tested every month.