Summer swim monitoring back in the spotlight

Regional council scientists are back splashing around in the surf this month as weekly beach monitoring has resumed around the country. Results of the testing is now available on the environmental monitoring website Land, Air, Water Aotearoa (LAWA).

www.lawa.org.nz provides information on the water quality of over 350 beaches around New Zealand. Information on recreational suitability of rivers and lakes popular for swimming are also available.

“Beaches are a key part of many New Zealanders’ lifestyles and it’s important that people can enjoy them with the knowledge that the water is safe,” said Stephen Woodhead, chair of the regional sector group, Local Government New Zealand.

Regional councils monitor the bacteria levels of popular swimming beaches weekly during the warmer months. LAWA displays the results of this monitoring but also uses the past 3 years’ worth of data to provide a seasonal guide to alert beach goers to swim spots that are susceptible to elevated bacteria levels at times.

“By reviewing bacteria levels at beaches over time, LAWA allows us to assess to what extent the water at our beaches is affected by bacteria and whether this could pose a health risk to the public.”
Based on the last three years of bacterial (enterococci) data, LAWA shows that the majority of monitored beaches are suitable for swimming.

“66 per cent of monitored beaches throughout New Zealand are classified as having a low or very low risk of causing infection or illness. 11 per cent are classified as high risk and the remainder are within acceptable limits,” explains Dr Jarrod Walker, Auckland Council marine scientist.

As well as the seasonal guide, LAWA also provides the results of the most recent weekly beach monitoring, allowing users to see the latest bacteria reading and how this might affect current suitability for swimming.
Read together, the seasonal indicator and weekly monitoring results give people a good idea of the water quality. However, Dr Walker says people still need to think twice before swimming after heavy rain.

“Even a low risk beach can be unsuitable to swim at from time to time and we recommend that you avoid swimming for 48 hours after heavy rainfall.”

He also advised people to remember LAWA provides information on water quality but other hazards may be present.

“Our natural environment is a great playground but can be unpredictable. People need to be aware of the other potential risks such as rips or currents before jumping in.”

LAWA was developed by New Zealand regional and unitary councils, the Ministry for the Environment and the Cawthron Institute with the support of the Tindall Foundation to provide New Zealanders with more accessible information about natural resources.
It displays environmental data covering river, lake and beach water quality, water use and allocation, real-time river flow, rainfall and groundwater levels.

Mr Woodhead said work on other environmental indicators for LAWA is ongoing and the website will eventually show information on water quantity, air quality, land and biodiversity, as well as more fresh and coastal water quality data.

LAWA will also contribute to a new national environmental reporting regime being designed by the Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand.

LAWA can be accessed at www.lawa.org.nz

ENDS

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