The name Coogee is said to be taken from a local Aboriginal word koojah which means “smelly place”
And yesterday, the beautiful Coogee Beach in Sydney lived up to its indigenous name for all the wrong reasons.
The sewer overflow that caused the closure of Coogee beach on a glorious April afternoon was not the way to end a beach lovers summer.
News crews looking for “The one that got away”
Beachgoers and holiday makers enjoying our seemingly endless summer conditions were advised to clear the water after a blocked Sydney Water sewer main in Dudley Street, Coogee overflowed into the Randwick Council stormwater pipes that carried the filthy stream of raw sewage into the ocean at Coogee Surf club.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports:
“The blockage was caused by tree roots in pipes, which were cleared on Wednesday morning. A spokesman said the overflow was contained quickly and the area was sandbagged to capture run off.”
The Ross Jones pool next to the surf club was closed and drained for swimmers safety.
24 hours on, as I went to the beach this morning thinking how to Stop tree roots in pipes, I was met by that sewer smell I know only to well that still hung heavily in the damp morning air.
News crews were looking for the one that got away but all they found was a deserted beach and a couple of stalwarts who declared “I’m not swimming today!”
