A popular beach on Auckland’s North Shore has been given a black flag alert for water quality with a “very high risk of illness from swimming” due to sewage flowing into the ocean.
Auckland Council’s wastewater department Watercare alerted locals of the safety risk from swimming at Long Bay beach at 4.45pm today.
Watercare made the post on the Torbay, North Shore, NZ Facebook community group alerting beach-goers to the “very high risk” water quality rating currently up on their Safeswim website.
“Kia ora everyone... Not an ideal way to start 2023 - we’ve raised a black flag at Long Bay beach for 24 hours due to a wastewater overflow in the area,” the post said.
“A black flag means there is a very high risk of illness from swimming. You won’t see black flags at the beach, instead they are listed against the beach on Safeswim website. Before swimming at any Auckland beach of bay this summer, please check the Safeswim website.”