Choosing a healthy and safe spot to swim

• Before you head out, be sure to check the latest swimming suitability gradings and water sampling results from LAWA to see if your chosen spot is safe to swim at. 
• Toi te Ora Public Health also issues shellfish safety warnings where elevated faecal bacteria levels are present. Check for any current shellfish and recreational water health warnings.
• Ministry for Primary Industries monitors shellfish for shellfish poisoning risk that can be caused by naturally occuring toxic algae blooms. See the latest alerts here.

Regardless of health warning status:

• You should avoid swimming for two to three days after heavy or prolonged rain. This is because the water can be contaminated by farm and urban run-off which takes some time to settle out or flush away.
• Avoid swimming near potential sources of contamination such as flocks of birds, storm water or waste water outlets.
• If you suspect an algal bloom is present, don't swim or take part in an activity that may result in accidental consumption or exposure to water affected by algal blooms. 

Water sampling

The water samples we collect are checked for faecal contamination (E. coli or Enterococci bacteria) and/or for toxin-forming algae (cyanobacteria).

Our monitoring information is supplied to Toi Te Ora - Public Health who are responsible for issuing health warnings if unsafe levels of bacteria or toxic algae are detected.