Water sampling of Pandora Pond and surrounding areas will resume tomorrow after last week’s heavy rain meant monitoring was put on hold for a few days.

A swimming warning is in place for Pandora Pond in Napier following ongoing test results showing high levels of bacteria in the pond.

Last week’s storm event meant water samples taken from and around Pandora Pond showed elevated bacteria levels, which exceed the recreational guidelines. Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Coastal Scientist Anna Madarasz-Smith says these elevated levels can be expected after a big downpour and why HBRC advises people to stay out of the water 2-3 days after heavy rain.

She says while HBRC’s routine weekly water sampling was done on Monday 12 March. The extra sampling being undertaken as part of the contamination investigation was put on hold last Thursday after the heavy rain and is scheduled to resume tomorrow (Thursday 15 March).

She says HBRC has undertaken extensive sampling from the Railway Bridge to the Inner Harbour and has not yet found the source of the contamination but is working on what the contributing factors are.

“Some avian, or bird contamination has been found but that would be expected in an estuary such as Ahuriri and HBRC certainly doesn’t have the full picture yet,” says Anna Madarasz-Smith.
She says HBRC will continue to take regular water samples and is working hard with the HB District Health Board and Napier City Council to fully understand the source of the contamination and what is contributing to it.

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