NRC challenges swimming status
The Northland Regional Council says newly released data for ‘swimmable’ freshwater in the region paints a more accurate picture than maps released by central government.
The Government map of Northland showed poor swimming quality at Punakitere River, Waimamaku River, Waiharakeke Stream near Kawakawa and the Kaeo River from data collected in 2014. It said they were unsuitable for swimming.
The map was released in February but based on data in 2014.
NRC chairman Bill Shepherd says council data from 2017 paints a more accurate picture.
Results from its summer testing programme showed 93.5 per cent of freshwater samples taken from 13 sites around Northland were suitable for swimming under the national guidelines.
Kylie Wesley-Land who swims at the Waimamaku River says she was shocked to discover that the river was unsuitable for swimming 35 per cent of the time according to the environment ministry’s 2014 data.
‘‘My children swim here and there is no notification letting us know when it is safe.
‘‘Our rivers and waterways desperately need to be fenced from stock and replanted if we are to change this.’’
According to Land, Air, Water, Aotearoa data used by the North- land Regional Council, water quality at the Waimamaku River had an E.coli count of 537 per 100ml.
This is just under the new acceptable standard for swimming but would have been unacceptable under the old standard.
The Government’s goal of having 90 per cent of rivers and lakes at a swimmable standard by 2040 comes as the acceptable amount of E.coli bacteria was raised from 260 per 100ml to 540 per 100ml.
Shepherd says the maps showing some of the rivers with poor quality were not always normal swimming spots.
Northland communities have put a huge amount of time and effort into lifting regional water quality in recent years, he says.
The 90 per cent goal by 2040 will cost the Government, farmers and councils $2 billion over the next 23 years.