The health warning includes no swimming or fishing at Pandora Pond. Photo / Warren Buckland
The health warning includes no swimming or fishing at Pandora Pond. Photo / Warren Buckland
A no swimming and fishing warning could be lifted soon at Pandora Pond and Ahuriri Estuary following a sewage spill 10 days ago.
It comes as the Napier Port Ocean Swim is set to be staged a few hundred metres away this Saturday.
The Napier City Council erected signage aroundPandora Pond and Ahuriri Estuary on Monday, February 7, after three manholes overflowed in Onekawa, Pandora and Tamatea.
The wastewater spill happened during the heaviest 24-hour rainfall in Napier since the infamous November 2020 flood.
A council spokeswoman said the latest test results from the pond showed "elevated levels of enterococci" and further tests would be returned on Friday.
"Additional samples were taken on Wednesday, which will provide final results on Friday," she said. "The DHB will then inform us whether or not to take down the signs."
A Napier City Council health warning next to Pandora Pond. Photo / Warren Buckland
Meanwhile, seasonal coastal algal bloom - which is unrelated to the warning and sewage spill - has been reported in Napier.
Some residents took to social media this week reporting discolouring in the water near Westshore.
"It is unlikely that the discoloured coastal waters at Westshore are related [to the spill]," the council spokeswoman said.
"This could be due to what appears to be a seasonal coastal algal bloom which is currently stretching the length of the entire bay."
Another warning sign has been erected in Taradale next to a pond on the popular Maggie's Way walk track, warning of a toxic bacteria which is fatal to dogs.
"The signs were installed due to seasonal blue-green algal blooms (cyanobacteria), which occur in fresh water," the council spokeswoman said.
"Blue-green algal is fatal to dogs so we wish to inform the public to be vigilant in controlling their dogs around susceptible areas such as the pond in Maggie's Way.
"The warning has been up for a few weeks and we will check regularly until we are confident there is no risk."
