Up-to-date information on water quality at popular swimming spots around Tairawhiti is now available online.

Council monitors beach water quality every summer but this year has extended the programme to include more river swimming sites.

Monitoring will cover 34 sites in rivers and beaches around the district, with some sites monitored throughout the duration of summer and others just over December and January.

Under the Resource Management Act, Councils are required to carry out monitoring at beaches and freshwater sites to determine the bacterial risk grade.

Environmental monitoring team leader Peter Hancock says while Gisborne beaches generally return a good result for water quality, estuaries and lagoons can be a poorer grade.

“Parents may want to think twice before letting their tamariki swim in these sites, particularly after heavy rain as runoff from land can cause elevated bacteria levels for at least 3 days following. Long dry periods can also affect water quality, when flushing of lagoons and estuaries occurs less frequently.”

The safe swimming data is available to the public at http://www.gdc.govt.nz/can-i-swim-here/

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