Long delays for beach testing

Explanations as to why so many of Canterbury’s beaches were off limits this summer may not be available until closer to next summer, with some swimmers calling the delay unacceptable.

Several popular Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour beaches were classified as unsuitable for swimming ahead of this summer based on long-term faecal bacteria (enterococci) testing. Other beaches were given temporary warnings after heavy rainfall. More recently, an open-water swim event was cancelled 24 hours before it was to start, after public health officials advised the city council that Akaroa Harbour’s grade (given late last year by Environment Canterbury) meant the race could not go ahead despite proposed mitigations.

But hopes of pinpointing the source of the faecal bacteria seem distant, as ECan acknowledges the results of its investigations are some time off.

In January, ECan surface water science team leader Shirley Hayward said the council would undertake an investigation into the source of excrement, including ‘‘specialist faecal source tracking analysis to distinguish human, animal and bird sources’’.

Later, Hayward said investigations were dependent on conditions ‘‘such as rainfall, high faecal results and labs being open’’ but the council would report findings after its summer monitoring programme finished.

The latest update suggests results are some time off, with Hayward advising weekly sampling would finish in mid-March, and assessment and reporting would be completed ‘‘around the middle of the year’’.

However, ‘‘further analysis and modelling may not be able to start until the new financial year (July to October)’’, she said.

Akaroa Beach (French Bay), Corsair Bay, Diamond Harbour Beach, Purau Bay, Rā paki Bay and Sandy Bay have all been labelled unsuitable for swimming based on long-term data ‘‘regardless of the most recent result’’.

Frustration with official water quality guidance prompted swim coach Dan Abel to start his own testing late last year, which he continues to post on the firm’s website.

Open water swimmer Leith Cooper supports Abel’s testing. ‘‘We care about the quality of our harbour and water, and protecting ourselves as well.’’ But he is frustrated with ECan’s approach, grading and lack of follow-up testing. Long-term grading ‘‘without review or daily testing ... is misleading’’.

Spike events (elevated bacteria after rainfall) were the cause of the poor grades and testing ‘‘within a day or two’’ shows bacteria drops back to undetectable levels.

The timeframe for the final report was ‘‘completely unacceptable’’, Cooper said.