Pollution on Sydney's beaches is not due to job cuts or untreated waste water being pumped into the ocean, Sydney Water says.
The latest State of the Beaches report released on Sunday found that the water quality at formerly top-ranking beaches has dropped over the past year.
While 81 per cent of swimming locations reviewed across the state achieved very good or good gradings, only eight Sydney beaches are rated as very good - down from 15 last year.
The NSW opposition blamed the drop in water quality on job and budget cuts at Sydney Water.
It also pointed to a record number of bypasses at waste-water treatment plants.
"We are returning to the bad old days when it was unsafe to swim on the beaches due to overflows," opposition water spokesman Walt Secord said in a statement.
"The O'Farrell government cannot blame rain as NSW has experienced its warmest January to September period on record. NSW has had its mildest winter in more than 150 years."
But Sydney Water rejected the comments, saying they were untrue.
"The Beachwatch 2013 Report released today shows that 37 out of 38 ocean beaches in Sydney were graded as good or very good, despite a wet summer in 2012/13, which is an outstanding result," Sydney Water said in a statement.
According to the report, among the best swimming spots in Sydney are Palm Beach, Whale Beach and Avalon on the Northern Beaches.
But neighbouring beaches Dee Why, South Curl Curl and Mona Vale have all been downgraded from the very good rating they secured last year to good.
The report states while Dee Why is suitable for swimming most of the time the water is susceptible to pollution from several sources of faecal contamination, including stormwater.
South Curl Curl and Mona Vale are also susceptible to pollution following rainfall.
Boat Harbour near Cronulla was rated poor this year for the first time.
The report linked major rainfall events over the last couple of years as a major driver of pollution to recreational waters.
Six ocean beaches impacted by contamination - including discharge from lagoons and estuaries - were graded as poor including Killick Beach at Crescent Head and Terrigal Beach on the Central Coast.
NSW Services Minister Andrew Constance said any suggestion that raw sewage was being pumped onto Sydney beaches was "an outrageous lie".
He described the city's beaches as some of the cleanest in the world.
"During rain events wastewater undergoes wet weather treatment, in which 90 per cent of the treatment processes are completed," Mr Constance said in a statement.
He rejected Labor's job cut claims, but did say Sydney Water's ageing workforce meant staff numbers were decreasing significantly through natural attrition.
NSW Services Minister Andrew Constance said any suggestion that raw sewage was being pumped onto Sydney beaches was "an outrageous lie".
He described the city's beaches as some of the cleanest in the world.
"During rain events wastewater undergoes wet weather treatment, in which 90 per cent of the treatment processes are completed," Mr Constance said in a statement.
He rejected Labor's job cut claims, but did say Sydney Water's ageing workforce meant staff numbers were decreasing significantly through natural attrition.
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