Toxin at Anderson Park - Napier dogs warned away from water

Algal bloom at Anderson Park on Wednesday. Photo / Supplied

A toxin discovered in one of the ponds at Anderson Park in Greenmeadows has the Napier City Council warning dog owners to keep their pets away from all waterways until further notice.

A cyanobacteria bloom (blue-green algae), which is known to kill dogs and can make humans very unwell, was found in one of the ponds at the park.

A council spokeswoman said because they cannot confirm if the toxin has affected other waterways, all urban Napier waterways should be avoided by dogs and humans.

"If a dog is suspected of coming in contact with water from an urban waterway, and rapidly becomes unwell, treat it as an emergency and take your dog to the nearest vet without delay."

She added that the council's environmental solutions team will be carrying out further monitoring of the ponds, and warning signs are being installed.

Cyanobacteria can occur in slow-flowing nutrient-rich water, aided by consistently high temperatures for long periods of time, and some species produce harmful toxins.