Fun days in foul water

Auckland beachgoers risk swimming in overflowing stormwater and faeces during summer. Hayley Hannan asks, doesn't anyone care?

It's a clear afternoon at the beach. The breeze carries a chorus of noisy banter and laughter. Between the two red flags, lifeguards patrol a busy section of water.
Despite a council sign saying bacteria levels make swimming unsafe, people pack the beach.
This very situation angers Maurice McGreal, who is appalled to see people swimming in potentially contaminated seawater.
Earlier this month, Mr McGreal spotted a faded sign erected by the defunct North Shore City Council warning of unsafe bacteria in the water at Milford Beach.
Other beachgoers also noticed.
After storms or heavy rainfall, the water network can overflow, releasing pathogens into the seawater (see Water checks). Mr McGreal says dozens of people were swimming and lifeguards were patrolling, despite the warning sign.
He told the lifeguards about the sign. Their reply was that "it wasn't their business".
However, Mr McGreal says lifeguards shouldn't be tacitly endorsing swimming where a warning sign says the beach is unsafe.
Surf Life Saving programmes and services manager Andy Kent says it's not the lifeguards' duty to stop people swimming. The volunteers are there to ensure water safety.
"We're not policemen. Lifeguards will inform the public, but if people want to swim then lifeguards can't force them out of the water. It's up to the public if they want to tempt fate."
He suggests Milford Beach lifeguards may have been misinformed. Swimmers tend to go in regardless of warning signs, he says.
After last year's tsunami alerts were cleared, people headed to the beach regardless.
"Even though we gave warnings that it was unsafe there were so many people in that area that we had to open up the flags.
"If people don't perceive the danger that there's a big threat then they will swim."
Sign of the grimes
So, do swimmers take notice of beach warning signs? The Aucklander went to Mission Bay beach one sunny afternoon to find out who reads the signs.
Deborah Handford says she keeps a keen eye out for warning signs and never swims if she sees one. Other swimmers take little notice, she says. After a recent storm, Ms Handford counted half a dozen swimmers in the water, despite the many  warning signs.
Beachgoer Alistar Molloy says he never checks for signs. "I just jump in the water. I'm here every day, so if something bad was going to happen then it would've by now."
Taint misbehaving
Heavy rain can overwhelm the water network, causing a mixture of bacteria, waste, stormwater and animal contamination to flow onto beaches across Auckland.
Carol Todd, council licensing and compliance manager, advises people not to swim or collect shellfish for 48 hours after heavy rain.
The council carries out weekly bacteria level checks on 52 beaches around Auckland City, Manukau and Waitakere.
North Shore beaches are no longer tested. This is  because of repeated clearance of water levels.
Warning signs are put up routinely after heavy rain.