Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

No‑swim warning at Rotorua’s Tikitapu (Blue Lake) after toilet leak

Rotorua Daily Post
23 Feb, 2026 08:41 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
A public toilet has leaked at Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake) in Rotorua. Photo / Mead Norton

A public toilet has leaked at Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake) in Rotorua. Photo / Mead Norton

A precautionary health warning has been issued at Tikitapu (Blue Lake) after a small leak from a public toilet.

A cleaner spotted the leak seeping from a urinal at the public toilets on the motor camp end of Tikitapu (Blue Lake) Beach on Sunday.

The facilities were secured by a plumber, who alerted contractors about 11.40am.

Damp ground was discovered outside the toilet block along with a small damp patch near the sand.

Rotorua Lakes Council said a fault in a power box temporarily cut power to the pump station servicing the toilets.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The fault has since been fixed.

Toilets were cleaned, and as a precaution, the area was cordoned off with warning signs.

There were no visible signs of contamination in the lake, and water testing showed no contamination.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Further testing returned safe preliminary results, however, the health warning will stay in place until final confirmation, expected today.

Te Arawa Lakes Trust general manager Tame Malcolm said he was disappointed the trust received no notification of the leak.

“We have always partnered with Rotorua Lakes Council to improve infrastructure and manage that problem.

“So again, disappointing that we found out about it through the media despite statutory agreements, and I have the assurances from them last year that they will notify us.”

Malcolm also said board members, especially Tūhourangi and those in the wider area who whakapapa to the lake, were confused and disappointed they were not included.

The council responded: “We are in conversations with Mr Malcolm to understand and resolve this directly with him”.

Meanwhile, the council is urging people to avoid the water until final test results are known.

Health officials warn contaminated water can cause anything from stomach illnesses to respiratory, skin, ear and eye infections.

Those who may have come into contact with the contaminated water are encouraged to wash thoroughly.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Watch: Police probing mystery late-night 'boom' heard across Rotorua

23 Feb 07:38 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua mystery 'boom' caught on camera

Watch
23 Feb 06:59 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Homeless crackdown welcomed by some in Rotorua, but MP calls it 'disgusting'

23 Feb 05:00 PM

Sponsored

Backing locals, every day

22 Feb 11:00 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Watch: Police probing mystery late-night 'boom' heard across Rotorua
Rotorua Daily Post

Watch: Police probing mystery late-night 'boom' heard across Rotorua

Police were called to Western Heights about 10pm but found nothing unusual.

23 Feb 07:38 PM
Rotorua mystery 'boom' caught on camera
Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua mystery 'boom' caught on camera

Watch
23 Feb 06:59 PM
Homeless crackdown welcomed by some in Rotorua, but MP calls it 'disgusting'
Rotorua Daily Post

Homeless crackdown welcomed by some in Rotorua, but MP calls it 'disgusting'

23 Feb 05:00 PM


Backing locals, every day
Sponsored

Backing locals, every day

22 Feb 11:00 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • NZME Digital Performance Marketing
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP