Tests show Lake Hayes is safe to swim in

Queenstown Lakes District Council is pleased the latest results taken from Lake Hayes show it is safe to swim in once again.

Samples taken by the Otago Regional Council on Monday returned E. coli levels at 11 E. coli/100ml, compared to last week’s sample of 921/100ml. Government water quality guidelines for safe recreational swimming areas require less than 260 E.coli/100ml.

Mayor Boult is pleased with these results, “this is great news, both as peace of mind for those who were swimming in the lake earlier this week before the high E. Coli readings were announced by the ORC, and also for anyone looking forward to enjoying the lake over the summer break.”

“Lake Hayes is one of the most popular swimming spots in the district, particularly with families so it is a huge relief to hear that the water has been judged safe to swim in by the ORC.”

“While we’re happy with these results, we’ll be working closely with our counterparts at the ORC to ensure the public is notified about situations such as this as quickly as possible. There was a delay between the initial high readings and warning signs being put in place around the lake. We’ll make sure our lines of communication are open and clear for the remainder of the summer,” said Mayor Boult.

The most up to date testing results for Otago’s lakes and rivers are available on the Otago Regional Council website - https://www.orc.govt.nz/managing-our-environment/water/water-quality

ENDS

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