B 4 U Swim

Welcome to the Hawke's Bay Regional Council's page about recreational water quality. During summer (November to March), Council staff test the water quality at popular coastal and river spots where people enjoy swimming and other water sports.

On this page Water quality testing How to check water for yourself Definitions relating to beach safety levels Map showing all Hawke's Bay bathing beaches with links to results

Water quality testing

During summer, Regional Council staff test water from selected sites for indications of faecal contamination. Results of the tests are assessed against the national guidelines for water quality set by the Ministries of Environment and Health. Results are then provided to the Public Health Unit which alerts the public of any problems through news media bulletins and signage.

Most of the coastal beaches are good through the summer months and any problems tend to be short lived after heavy rain, with murky water and contamination generally reducing within 3 days. You are advised to stay out of the water for three days after heavy rain when pollutants can be washed into rivers and streams, and you could be affected by ear, eye and skin infections or stomach illness.

Some streams, rivers and coastal lagoons can have longer lasting water quality problems.  Local councils put up warning signs at affected sites and investigate to find the source of the contamination.  The public should check any warning signs at these places before letting children, in particular, swim in the water.

How to check water quality for yourself

You may also be checking this web page for water quality results for rivers and beaches (see below). Other ways you can check:

• At any river or beach you are at - has it rained in the area in the last 3 days? can you see your toes when you stand in the water (up to about mid calf if it's safe to do so)? If it's been raining or you cannot see your feet, it could be better to swim somewhere else. 
• Phone the 0800 B4U Swim line 24 hrs (0800 248 7946) or (06) 878 1368 for info on beaches which had water quality issues at the last Monday monitoring.
• Public health alerts on the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board website: www.healthinhawkesbay.co.nz/ public health alerts.
• Signage at locations with regular water quality problems.

The results currently shown are the latest readings from the summer monitoring, and are available from Thursday of the monitored week.

Category Definitions

Green Mode	Indicates there is minimal health risk for recreational activities involving contact with water.
Amber Mode	Indicates the health risk for recreational activities involving contact with the water may have increased. This acts as a trigger and councils collect more frequent samples.
Red Mode	Indicates that any contact with the water could present a significant risk.
E. coli	Escherichia coli; a motile Gram-negative bacillus. Bacteria commonly found in the intestines of humans and other animals, where it usually causes no harm. Some strains can cause severe food poisoning, especially in old people and children.
Enterococci	Genus streptococcus (or Enterococcus); Gram-positive cocci. A Streptococcus of a group that occurs naturally in the intestine but causes inflammation and blood infection if introduced elsewhere in the body (e.g. by injury or surgery).
cfu/100mL	Colony forming units per 100 millilitres of water.

Suitability Definitions

The Suitability for Recreation Grade indicates the general condition of a beach. The risk of a beach or river being unsafe for swimming increases as the grading shifts from Very Good to Very Poor.  The grading is determined by results from up to 5 years of weekly monitoring plus an assessment of how likely the area is to be contaminated by faecal matter from the surrounding catchment.

Click on the grade to view the definition and recommendations for that grade.