Months after mysterious black orbs forced the closure of some of Sydney’s most famous beaches, small marble-like debris has once again started washing up on the city’s shores.
The balls – this time gray or white in color – have prompted councils to close nine beaches, including the popular Manly and Dee Why, while authorities investigate.
Eight beaches, including Bondi, were closed for several days in October and a major clean-up was ordered after thousands of black deposits began to appear on the shore.
Testing conducted by the authorities determined that these balls were most likely the result of a sewage spill.
Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins said the latest balls “could be anything”, according to Guardian Australia.
“Right now we don’t know what it is and that makes it even more concerning,” she said.
“There’s something apparently leaking or falling… floating out there and being thrown around.”
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the Northern Beaches Council said the New South Wales Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had alerted them to the new debris.
The agency and council planned to collect the findings for testing and inspect other beaches in the area as well.
Anyone who spotted the balls was urged to contact authorities, the council added.
Although widely rumored to be “tar balls”, the debris was later discovered in October to contain everything from cooking oil and soap molecules to blood pressure medication, pesticides, hair, methamphetamine and veterinary drugs.
Scientists said they resembled grease, oil and grease stains – often called grease mountains – that commonly form in sewage systems.
However, Sydney Water reported there were no known problems with the city’s waste systems and authorities still did not know the source of the material, prompting some to raise concerns about the safety of the city’s beaches.
“The EPA cannot explain the source of human waste that causes fatbergs and cannot reassure the public that Sydney’s beaches are safe to use,” state Greens politician Sue Higginson said in a statement in December.
