Whanganui’s Kai Iwi Beach unsuitable for swimming after faecal contamination from streams

Results of a second water sample confirmed unhealthy levels of enterococci at the Kai Iwi beach carpark swim spot on April 15. Photo / Horizons Regional Council

Contaminated water after storm activity has made Whanganui’s Kai Iwi Beach unsuitable for swimming.

It was placed under a red water quality rating on Friday after storm conditions flushed large quantities of water from the Archer’s Bridge stream into the ocean.

Results of a second water sample confirmed unhealthy levels of enterococci, an indicator of faecal contamination.

Faecal contamination can cause illness in people when ingested.

Public health warning signs have been erected at the site.

Horizons Regional Council said beachgoers should avoid activities in or on the water while the warning was in place.

People who had been exposed to water at the site since Friday and felt unwell should seek medical advice, Horizons said.

More information about water quality at swim spots is available on the LAWA website www.lawa.org.nz.

Noam Mānuka Lazarus is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle.