Aucklanders looking to cool off at local beaches this weekend are warned to watch out as dozens of spots have been revealed to be poo-contaminated and unsafe for swimming.
Auckland council website Safeswim released a hit list made up of 28 beaches at high risk of causing illness from swimming due to exposure to human and animal faeces.
The "high risk of illness" alert is triggered when there's a greater than 2 percent chance of getting sick from swimming at a beach.
Wastewater systems in the region were overwhelmed by heavy rain last week which flushed bacteria out to sea, resulting in a raft of beaches joining the list.
When contaminated with human or animal faeces, the water can contain disease-causing bacteria, virus, and protozoa, such as salmonella, campylobacter or giardia.
These bacterias cause nasty illnesses including gastroenteritis, respiratory illness, as well as ear, eye, and skin infections.
Some spots have long-term alerts meaning they should be avoided at all times while others will be safe again within a few days. To keep up to date on changing risk statues visit the SafeSwim website.
The following spots are the ones to avoid:
North Shore:
- Okoromai Bay
- Little Manly
- Rothesay Bay
- Christmas Beach
Central:
- Judges Bay
- Cox's Bay - long-term alert
- Meola Reef - long-term alert
- Oakley Creek - long-term alert
East:
- Okahu Bay
- St Heliers
- Point England
- Big Bucklands
- Little Bucklands
- Howick
- Sunkist Bay
- Maraetai Beach
- Umupuia Duders
- Kawakawa Bay
West:
- Green Bay - long-term alert
- Wood Bay - long-term alert
- Titirangi Beach - long-term alert
- Fosters Bay - long-term alert
- Huia Beach
- Piha South Lagoon - long-term alert
- North Piha Lagoon - long-term alert
- Bethells Lagoon - long-term alert
South:
- Weymouth South
- Granny's Bay
There are no black alerts this weekend which is triggered when swimming carries a "very high risk" of causing illness.
