Swimmers will be able to take a dip at three more spots along the Parramatta River under a plan to boost the waterway's health and protect it from surging residential development in Sydney's west.
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But bathers face a wait of more than six years before they can swim at riverside areas marked for upgrades at Bayview Park in Concord, McIlwaine Park at Rhodes East and Putney Park.
The ambition to open the proposed sites by 2025 was outlined in the Parramatta River Masterplan, released on Thursday.
The locations would join existing swimming spots along the river at Cabarita Park beach, Chiswick Baths, Dawn Fraser Baths in Balmain and Lake Parramatta.
"It's a plan to have the water quality in the Parramatta River so good, you can swim in it," Parramatta River Catchment Group chairman, Mark Drury, said.
Nine other sites will be considered as future swimming spots. The report said there was particularly strong interest in opening Callan Park in Rozelle.
The idea to revitalise the spots has been inspired by overseas projects to utilise city rivers, including the Copenhagen Harbour Baths and the Badeschiff floating public pool on Berlin's Spree River.
Floating swimming pools have also been proposed to reinvigorate parts of the Thames River in London and New York's Hudson River.
Parramatta River's catchment area is home to about 750,000 people and is covered by 11 local councils, all of which have backed the masterplan along with the NSW government.
High-density housing across the catchment was predicted to jump by 64 per cent in the next six years, alongside a 58 per cent rise in medium-density housing, the report said.
The plan also aims to boost water quality monitoring and curb stormwater run-off.
More than 20 swimming baths popped up along the river around the early 1900s, however, most closed in the 1960s as run-off, sewage and surging industrial development decreased water quality.
The area's more recent residential development boom led to an improvement in the river's health and sparked interest in making the river swimmable again, the report said.
Western Sydney University water quality expert Ian Wright said the river was still "really sick".
"It's got a whole lot of legacy and current problems. I'd give the river a six out of 10 - 10 being pristine, zero being dead."
He said lingering chemicals from the area's industrial past were "like the ghosts of the river", while "massive" urban development meant bacteria from sewage was a big problem.
More residents in the area would hopefully mean more people valued the river and wanted to support its return to health, he said.
"And if it's good for swimming, it's good for wildlife."
Cr Drury said improving the river's water quality in the long term would require local governments to support water-sensitive urban design in planning controls and residents to stop littering.
Dr Wright said: "I reckon it's really gutsy, saying 'let's make the river swimmable'.
"I don't know if it's possible everywhere, but let's give it a go."
The plan is open for public consultation until November.
