Sewage danger signs not enough - Mum

Maxine Paterson with kids Jorja, 7, and Corbin, 4. Photo / Claire Fraser

A Tauranga mother is disgusted more was not done to prevent families from swimming in human waste at Mt Maunganui's Pilot Bay at the weekend.

Gate Pa resident Maxine Paterson said four small signs erected to warn people of faecal contamination in the Tauranga Harbour were not enough to deter people and young children from playing in the water.

The local sewage system was overwhelmed by heavy rain from Cyclone Wilma on Friday night, washing harmful bacteria and human waste into the sea from 10 sites around the city.

Signs the size of an A3 sheet of paper were erected along the verge of Pilot Bay advising against contact with the water. They were not seen by Ms Paterson on Sunday, when she took children Jorja, 7, and Corbin, 4, for a swim.

"Jorja had her swimsuit on and boogie board and went to the water. She put her feet in and this lady came up and said 'don't you know the water isn't safe to swim in?'

"We were told there were signs but we couldn't see anything."

She said there were other children already swimming in the water.

Ms Paterson said Tauranga City Council should have made more of an effort to warn people.

Tauranga City Council spokesman Marcel Currin said the four signs at Pilot Bay were standard practice for all overflow incidents and the council worked hard at getting the news to the media.

"It was a big weekend with a lot going on and as usual we'll no doubt have a debrief or two about how everything was handled and what can be improved.

"It has been sufficient in the past to install four signs at Pilot Bay for pollution events but that doesn't mean we shouldn't re-evaluate the status quo."

Toi te Ora Public Health's Phil Shoemack said water testing was likely to take place today, which he expected would indicate it was safe to swim again. "We will be getting close to normal now, however we still advise people not to collect shellfish from there for a couple of months."

- APN