Auckland beaches may be unsafe for swimming after heavy rain this week

Wednesday, 3 January 2018

There was a high risk warning for swimmers at Takapuna Beach earlier in the week because of possible water contamination.

More Auckland beaches could pose risks for swimmers this week as a big storm settles in.

Popular Takapuna Beach was closed on Tuesday after a stream of dirty, foamy water – suspected to be sewage – flowed down the beach.

Lifeguards cleared the surf and the beach was deemed a no-swim zone for just over 24 hours.

'Unusual' stormwater discharge flowed into the water between the red and yellow flags, closing Takapuna Beach on Tuesday.

It was later confirmed that a stormwater drain had overflowed near the beach after heavy rains on Monday.

**READ MORE:

Safeswim gives beachgoers information in real-time about the quality of the water. Takapuna Beach was given the all-clear again on Wednesday.

* Stormwater not raw sewage closed Takapuna Beach

* Safe to swim in Auckland beaches this summer

Auckland Council does not have a legal mandate to close beaches even if contaminated, so swimming is at the person's own risk.

* Faeces to blame for 16 Auckland beaches too filthy for swimming

* Water quality at Auckland beaches 'worse than we would like to believe'**

Safeswim technical lead Martin Neale said rainfall was the main cause of poor water quality at beaches, and it was not unusual for them to become 'high risk' or unsafe for swimming amidst bad weather.

Aucklanders were likely to see more alerts this week as a result of the impending front, he said.

A dynamic low pressure system moving towards NZ tomorrow will bring heavy rain and strong winds to large areas of the North and South Islands over the next few days. Check the latest watch and warnings to see how it will impact you: https://t.co/Sd5C6lrsSL ^JM pic.twitter.com/Jb5QkWmpPb

— MetService (@MetService) January 3, 2018

Heavy rain and heaving wind warnings had been put in place for Auckland from 12pm Thursday to 12am Friday.

Between 70-90mm of rain has been forecast during that time, especially about the Hibiscus Coast, and the Waitakere and Hunua Ranges, with 15 to 25mm expected in the space of an hour, MetService said.

By comparison, about 30mm of rain fell during Monday's localised downpours, with 13mm falling between 3pm-4pm.

While stormwater is safer than wastewater – it is less concentrated and dilutes faster – it still contains bacteria that can be unsafe for beachgoers.

Neale said he 'fully supported' Surf Lifesaving's decision to close Takapuna Beach.

'Nobody knew what it was at first and the discharge looked pretty nasty.'

It was 'out of the ordinary' for a stormwater overflow, he said, and public health and safety was the first priority.

Most councils recommend people avoid beach swimming for two to three days after rainfall, but Safeswim said it was more nuanced than that – some need less time, some need longer.

The forecast system showed Takapuna Beach, along with most Auckland beaches, would be high-risk on Thursday, and water would be tested throughout the day to validate those forecasts.

Auckland Council did not have a legal mandate to close beaches, so getting into the water was at people's own discretion, Neale said.

'We're just giving people all the information so they can make an informed decision about whether they swim.'

* Headed to the beach? Check Safeswim for up-to-date water quality information and forecasts first.