Watershed moment

‘‘notably’’ improved. A report presented to councillors at an environment committee meeting on Wednesday said the council had monitored two sites along the Taylor River, at Riverside, and 650 metres upstream by the Henry St bridge, sometimes used by swimmers despite warnings not to.

There was only one occasion at the Taylor River when the E coli reading was considered ‘‘unsafe’’, which was after a rain event.

However, because E coli readings had been particularly high in the past, the SFR grade at the Taylor River was still considered ‘‘very poor’’, the report said. Council environmental scientist Steffi Henkel said the majority of samples taken from swimming spots around the region this summer were ‘‘green’’, which meant the health risk to swimmers was generally low.

The Rai River at Rai Falls had the highest bacteria levels of the sites monitored but when compared with data over the past 10 years, there had been a significant reduction in bacteria.

The Te Hoiere Catchment Restoration Project aimed to improve water quality at that site further.

Meanwhile, Ngakuta Bay continued to have some high readings of bacteria and the council continued to investigate why. Henkel said there had been one incident when Governors Bay, about 15 minutes from Picton, had a particularly high enterococci reading in mid-march.

‘‘We did some investigation, so far it is pointing to visiting boats,’’ she said.

The coastal beaches with the best recreational water quality this summer were Anakiwa and the Picton foreshore.

Blenheim ward councillor Jamie Arbuckle said he was not ‘‘overly happy’’ with the results from the Taylor River.

‘‘I think we need something back sooner rather than later,’’ he said.

‘‘I know the work is being put in, I want to know what that work is.’’

But Henkel said the results from the Taylor River had actually been ‘‘quite good’’.

‘‘We only had one sample that was in the red. We want to make sure it stays like that,’’ she said.