Safeswim red and black flags: More than 30 Auckland beaches unsafe to swim due to faecal contamination

People swim at Mission Bay Beach despite red warning notices after prolonged rain. Photo / Alex Robertson

• 34 Auckland beaches have been red and black flagged as unsafe to swim due to faecal contamination.
• They include multiple beaches along the North Shore’s east coast.
• Weather conditions are forecast to improve following a wet start to summer.

Dozens of Auckland’s most popular beaches have been labelled unsafe to swim due to faecal contamination during a rainy first weekend of summer.

Water quality website Safeswim has red-flagged 30 Waitematā Harbour beaches, meaning swimming is not advised, and black-flagged a further four inner harbour beaches warning not to swim there at all.

From Ōrewa to Takapuna Beach on Auckland’s North Shore, Safe Swim has labelled all but three beaches as unsafe, including the popular Long Bay, Browns Bay, Mairangi Bay, Milford Beach and Takapuna Beach.

Safeswim water quality models predict that levels of Faecal Indicator Bacteria breach national guidelines for swimming.

It advises people against swimming in contaminated water.

Despite these advisories, the five beaches south of Takapuna, including Narrow Neck, Cheltenham, and St Leonards Beach are all safe to swim.

A large swath of Auckland's beaches have been labelled unsafe to swim because of faecal contamination.

Inner harbour beaches Herne Bay, Home Bay, Judges Bay, and Te Tinana have all been black-flagged by wastewater overflow.

“Overflows are more common in wet weather, but they can happen in dry weather if pipes are blocked or damaged,” Safe Swim said.

“Wastewater overflows occur when wastewater (sewage) spills out from gully traps, manholes, engineered overflow points or pump stations. It then flows into backyards or waterways and the sea.”

Mission Bay Beach had red warning notices on Safe Swim website after prolonged rain in the Auckland region. Photo / Alex Robertson

People swim at Mission Bay Beach despite red warning notices on Safe Swim website after prolonged rain. Photo / Alex Robertson

Only St Heliers, Ōkahu Bay, Ōrākei, Basin Masefield Beach and Point England have been labelled safe to swim, while the rest have been red-flagged.

In East Auckland, Safeswim has labelled Eastern Beach, Farm Cove and Cockle Bay as safe to swim.

New Zealand is forecast to shrug off the rainy start to summer with temperatures set to increase across the country in the coming week.

MetService forecaster Surprise Mhnongo told the Herald that despite the rainy start to summer in Auckland this weekend, temperatures could reach the low 20s or early 30s in most places across the country by Tuesday - especially the eastern parts of the North and South Islands.

“We’re expecting those temperatures to persist until the end of the week,” he said.

“After that, there will be a bit of cooling. Not as major, but there will be a bit of cooling.

Mhnongo said Auckland could reach 25C by tomorrow and Tuesday, and slowly slide down to 22C by Friday.

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