Eye on water quality this summer
Council monitoring sites so public can make a splash, most beaches deemed currently safe for swimming
As tourists descend on the Waikato and Coromandel regions this summer, the agencies tasked with assessing the suitability of water for swimming and other recreational activities say water quality is high and most Coromandel beaches are safe for swimming.
The beaches are monitored weekly from November to March by the Waikato Regional Council (WRC).
Most coastal beaches, including holiday hotspots Whangamata¯, Buffalo Beach, Hot Water Beach and Pa¯uanui North, are open for water activities.
The last samples taken for the Coromandel region’s beaches were on December 18 and 19. The full results can be viewed on the council’s website.
Samples collected on February 7, 2023 showed Grahams Stream and the receiving area of Tairua Harbour are generally unsafe to swim. The catchment contains a mixture of native bush and wetland frequented by many birds and is deemed unsafe because of their contamination. Water quality is not being monitored at the site this summer.
In freshwater environments, fecal indicator bacteria E. coli are introduced via wildlife contaminants, which are introduced to the environment through animal and avian excrement, effluent discharges and stormwater runoff.
Faecal contamination from the bacteria E. coli can cause infections of the ears, eyes, nasal cavity, skin, and upper respiratory tract and gastroenteritis.
In coastal waters, high concentrations of enterococci that come from the gut of warmblooded animals (including humans) can lead to closure.
On its website, Land Air Water Aotearoa (LAWA) says low counts of E. coli are acceptable in water used for swimming, but when E. coli levels are detected above 540 per 100 ml swimming is not recommended.
LAWA works with the WRC and the Waikato District Health Board to identify any results that may have public health implications and provide the public with the best information; samples are compared with national standard trigger levels to interpret the potential for contamination.
Waikato Regional Council also advises against swimming in murky water or after recent rain.
In Auckland, a swath of the city’s popular beaches were classed as unsafe to swim on Boxing Day because of faecal contamination.