Beaches pass water quality test

By ANGELA GREGORY

The water quality at popular Auckland swimming beaches is good but some need more attention, city council testing has found.

Samples taken weekly from 15 beaches last summer found most fell within health guidelines.

Only four exceeded environmental and health guidelines for sewage contamination, most likely due to wet weather over summer.

They were Pt Chevalier, Herne Bay, Judges Bay and Tryphena Bay at Great Barrier Island.

Very good water quality was found at Onetangi and Oneroa beaches on Waiheke Island, Point England Beach on the Tamaki River, and Medlands Beach on Great Barrier.

Beaches found to have good water quality were Okahu Bay, Mission Bay, Kohimarama Bay, St Heliers Bay, and Surfdale and Palm Beaches on Waiheke.

It was the fourth year the council has monitored key recreational beaches around the Auckland isthmus and Hauraki Gulf islands.

A report to the council's works committee, which meets today, says that of the 350 samples collected from city beaches last summer, only 14, or 4 per cent, showed bacteria levels that exceeded guidelines.

Environmental health officer Sharon Tang says in the report that no beaches had to be closed to swimmers, as second tests, conducted within 24 hours, showed that bacteria counts had dropped back down to normal levels.

Water samples from a depth of half a metre were collected each week between late October and mid-April.

The testing was carried out by helicopter in most cases, between peak bathing times on Wednesdays.

Each sample was checked for enterococci bacteria.

High readings could indicate sewage escaping into the harbour, usually through the stormwater system as a result of an overflow after heavy rain.

Councillor Bill Christian, chairman of the works committee, said where tests showed high readings they related to eight exceptionally heavy downpours last summer, twice as many as in each of the two previous years.

Council and Metrowater officers had investigated whenever a bad test result was returned and found no evidence of dry-weather sewage overflows that would affect water quality, he said.

Auckland City will continue its Safeswim testing programme next summer, and bathers will again be able to check how clean the water is at their favourite beach.