MEDIA RELEASE

7 January 2019

For immediate release

Health warning lifted at Sandy Bay, Canterbury

Canterbury District Health Board’s Community and Public Health unit has lifted its health warning at Sandy Bay.

Latest water testing results show faecal bacteria levels in the Sandy Bay area are now below guideline values and the health warning issued on 31 December 2018 has been lifted and the water in Sandy Bay is now safe for recreational use.

Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Dr Alistair Humphrey says, “This is great news for swimmers and other recreational water users of Sandy Bay who would have been avoiding the water following the high levels of contamination.”

When a health warning is in place, water quality at affected sites is not considered suitable for recreational uses including swimming because of the risk to health from the bacteria and other pathogens.

Water contaminated by human or animal faecal bacteria may contain a range of disease causing micro-organisms such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa.

“In most cases the ill-health effects from exposure to contaminated water are minor and short-lived. However, there is the potential for more serious diseases, such as hepatitis A, giardia, cryptosporosis, campylobacter and salmonella,” Dr Humphrey says.

For more information about Sandy Bay visit the Environment Canterbury website:

http://ecan.govt.nz/your-region/your-environment/water/swimming-water-quality/

For more information on Mahinga kai:

Mahinga Kai

ENDS

© Scoop Media