In the eastern part of Melbourne, the creek floats with a thick layer of white foam.
On Sunday, Heathmont`s Dandenong Creek floated white foam more like a washing machine. A great deal of foam was stirred all over by brook water, and some flew to the grass, like a cloud.
First Friends of Dandenong Creek, a local environmental group, released a video showing the unusual scene.
It is caused by some kind of chemical pollution, but the exact source of pollution remains to be determined.
West (Julie West), a resident of Heathmont, said the river had been polluted before, but "has never been so bad."
"this is the destruction of the environment," she said. "it`s like someone poured too much detergent into the water, and the river turned over the foam, and some of them flew to the trees, some fell in the paddock, and they were all over the place."
Bystanders say the place even smells of detergent.
Bigelow (Anthony Bigelow), vice president of the environmental group, said the river had been polluted, and it was the 10th time so far this year. There were three pollution incidents this weekend alone. The river has been bubbling since Saturday, but it`s been worse on Sunday, according to photos.
Foam, he says, "covers the bottom of the story," because there are high concentrations of chemicals in the water. From Marie Wallace Park in Bayswater to Boronia Road in Vermont, the five-kilometer stream is covered with white foam.
Bigelow believes that businesses in the Bayswater industrial park, which drains a Rain Water canal directly into the stream, are responsible for the pollution.
"what we`re worried about is about to happen," he said. "like most pollution incidents, the EPA will come forward and say,`I don`t know, `and then this case is shut down," he said.
Organisms in streams are unlikely to be affected by pollution emissions, but Bigelow said it was due to the deaths of fish and other aquatic organisms in the region last November as a result of similar pollution, which has not since been added.
"We`re almost about to cry about it now," he said.
Wells (Damian Wells), executive director of township services at the Environmental Protection Agency, said the source and composition of chemical pollution in the river had not yet been determined.
Wells said the authorities have collected samples of the affected water for testing, which will help them understand the chemical composition of the pollution and may help them find the culprit.
The emissions appear to contain detergents, which are mixed with water to form a film on the surface of the stream. He urged residents of the Dandenong Creek area to avoid contact with contaminated water or bubbles.
It is not easy to isolate the source of pollution, because there are many potential sources, tracking the source of these chemicals will be a complex task.
He warned that any operator found releasing pollutants into the river could face a $8000 fine or be prosecuted. Wells also urged anyone familiar with the matter to contact the Victorian Environmental Administration.
A spokesman for the Melbourne Water Authority said staff had arrived at the site to assist in the clean-up.
