Warning not to enter popular swimming spot in Napier due to contamination

Wednesday, 21 February 2018

A very popular swimming spot in Napier has been closed to swimmers due to contamination.

People were warned on Wednesday not to swim in Pandora Pond until further notice due to contamination.

Hawke's Bay's District Health Board medical officer of health Nicholas Jones said monitoring by Hawke's Bay Regional Council had identified high levels of bacteria in water from samples taken this week.

Jones said there were excessive amounts of faecal matter, either animal or human in the water.

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There were 475 Enterococci cfu (colony forming units) per 100ml of water.  The safe swimming guideline is 280.

Jones said people needed to heed health official advice and avoid any contact with the water.

'People should not swim, or undertake any other water based recreational activities in Pandora Pond until further notice,' he said.

He said swimming and water based activities in contaminated water poses a risk of infections of the stomach, skin, eyes and ears

Napier City Council was putting up warning signage against swimming in the pond

Council manager sport and recreation Glenn Lucas said organisers planning upcoming events at Pandora Pond were being notified. The Pandora Splash Zone's inflatable water playground would also be closed until further notice.

Napier City Council's director of infrastructure, John Kingsford, said there had been no known discharges of wastewater into the pond that could have caused the high reading.

Hawke's Bay Regional Council water quality technician Shane Gilmer said the high reading was picked up in a regular weekly sample. Staff have since done two consecutive re-samples, which have been sent away for testing. Results were expected in the next 48 hours.

He said when sampling the pond this week he noticed the water was very discoloured.

'Generally as a handy guide - if people can't see their toes when standing in knee-deep water, then water-quality is not the best for a swim'.

Gilmer said there had been rain within the catchment in the last week which had contributed to surface water runoff, which then entered the estuary.