Better beach days ahead
Warning lifted: North Shore beaches safe
The weather was better — and so was the condition of the water at Auckland beaches yesterday. Warnings at a number of popular spots were lifted yesterday making it safe to enjoy a dip. Beaches along the North Shore are considered safe, as are on the Hibiscus Coast. Point Chevalier beach, which had earlier been considered high risk after wastewater overflows at the weekend, has moved into the low risk category.
The state of the beaches has prompted National’s environment spokesman Scott Simpson to call for a formal investigation.
“It’s an appalling state of affairs that has only got worse in the past three years. In many cases this pollution flows directly into the already compromised Hauraki Gulf,” Simpson said.
“The fact that as many as one in 10 people swimming at popular Auckland beaches are likely to become ill highlights the just how polluted those beaches are.
“The sad thing is, people are missing out on their chance to swim during the peak summer holiday season yet again.”
Water quality assessments on the Safeswim website are made using targeted sampling as well as historical monitoring results.
The forecasts are automatically overridden if rain sensors detect unpredicted events — like a wastewater overflow in dry weather
— that are likely to cause a public health risk. Safeswim is overseen by an independent panel of public health and water quality experts and is required to meet performance standards adopted from the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Another great day is forecast today, with a 25C high and an overnight low of 17C.
Fine weather is forecast for most of the North Island, with showers in the South Island. But in good news for cricket fans, a fine day is forecast for Christchurch for the test between the Black Caps and Pakistan.