By Molly Magennis
Locals have been advised to avoid contact with the water at Cherry Lake and Cherry Creek in Altona due to a significant pollution incident.
Melbourne Water and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) were made aware of the incident on March 8 and began undertaking clean-up and investigations.
The EPA have since said that 12,000 to 13,000 litres of detergent had contaminated the water after a small fire at a nearby business on March 6 resulted in a large quantity of the detergent being released into the creek.
Booms were initially installed to minimise pollution spread, however a number of dead fish have been spotted in the days following the incident.
Residents have been warned to avoid contact with the waters of the creek and the lake south of Kororoit Creek Road out to the Bay as a precaution, as the detergent can cause skin irritation.
Warning signs have been put in place around the creek and lake, and efforts to remove the contaminant will continue.
EPA State Agency Commander Steve Lansdell said the number of fish deaths are expected to reach the thousands.
“We also want to make sure people or their pets don’t pick up or consume any fish taken from the area, as they will be decomposing. EPA believes it is better to err on the side of caution – if your pet has eaten some fish and you have any concerns please speak to your vet.”
Local residents have voiced their concerns over the issue, with photos of dead fish being shared across social media platforms.
“Yet another major spill of something nasty from industry. It’s disgusting,” said one Twitter user.
“The west desperately needs risk assessments around waterways/drainage systems. These incidents keep happening and there is increasing concentration of hazardous industry/housing along waterways. It shouldn’t be possible for chemicals to leak in such large quantities.”
