No swimming: Point Chevalier beach hit with health warning

Aucklandites heading to the beach today have a larger selection than yesterday after warnings were lifted for some of the city’s hottest spots, but a local favorite received a rare black mark after a recent spill of sewage water.

According to the Auckland Council’s Safeswim website, much of the North Shore is now considered safe, as is most of the Hibiscus Coast.

But Point Chevalier Beach today presents a “very high risk of swimming illness” after a recent sewage overflow.

Several other Auckland beaches are still considered “high risk” today, including St Heliers and Kawakawa Bay, but the vast majority are rated safe.

The situation is a big improvement over yesterday, which saw widespread warnings after bursts of torrential rain and storms hit Auckland over the weekend, putting strain on parts of the storm and sewage networks.

The red alert classification is activated by a direct measurement of the stool indicator bacteria, enterococci, in the water.

Denotes a greater than 2 percent chance of getting sick from swimming at the beach.

A black alert, on which Point Chevalier Beach is currently located, indicates a “very high risk” of illness from swimming and means that the water was directly contaminated by human feces, and not just Enterococci bacteria that could come from the intestine of any animal.

National’s Environment spokesman Scott Simpson has called for a formal investigation into the state of Auckland’s beaches.

“It’s a dire state of affairs that has only gotten worse in the last three years. In many cases, this pollution flows directly into the already compromised Hauraki Gulf,” Simpson said.

“The fact that one in ten people who swim on Auckland’s popular beaches are likely to get sick underscores how polluted those beaches are.

“The sad thing is that people are missing the opportunity to swim during the peak summer vacation season once again.”

According to the Safeswim website, its water quality forecasts take into account rainfall, wind, tide, sunlight and the type of beach.

They are produced using high-frequency targeted sampling in addition to historical monitoring results and are backed by the best available meteorological data, including rain radar readings and an extensive network of rain gauges.

Safeswim forecasts are automatically overridden if sensors detect unforeseen events, such as a sewage overflow in dry weather, that are likely to cause a risk to public health.

Safeswim is overseen by an independent panel of public health and water quality experts and must meet performance standards adopted by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The beaches of the Auckland region proved to be a popular spot on Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 27 ° C.

Another boom day is forecast for Wednesday, with a high of 25 ° C during the day and a nightly ‘low’ of 17 ° C.

Paeroa had the national maximum on Tuesday, at 29.9 ° C, while Hamilton reached 27 ° C.

Good weather is forecast for most of the North Island and the Marlborough and Nelson regions on Wednesday.

The rains could affect most other areas of the South Island on Wednesday. But good news for cricket fans, a rainless day is forecast for Christchurch for the second test underway between the Black Caps and Pakistan.