The Echo was contacted by concerned residents after they became aware that they and several other swimmers at Main Beach, Byron Bay, had recently had eye and ear infections.
They believed these were potentially caused by run-off from cleaning around the shower area at the Main Beach carpark where they understood some late-night drinkers regularly defecate.
However, Byron Shire Council have informed The Echo that the greywater from the showers and general cleaning ‘goes into two drains which do not feed into the ocean.’
24-hour loos
Acting general manager Mark Arnold said staff have reported that because there are clean toilets that operate 24 hours a day in Apex Park, and public toilets behind the swimming pool there is not generally a problem with people defecating in the area.
‘There have been thousands of people swimming at Main Beach every day over the last month and there have been no complaints to Council and no notifications to the North Coast Area Health Service about eye and ear infections,’ Mr Arnold said.
‘If someone is genuinely concerned about the cause of the eye and ear infection they should see a doctor for treatment and ask for tests to pinpoint exactly how they may have contracted it,’ he said.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
