Summer’s here and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is encouraging people to check they’re good to go before taking a dip.

Regional Council’s Marine and Coastal Scientist Anna Madarasz-Smith says ‘Swim Thru Summer’ is a reminder to check your favourite spots are suitable for swimming before taking the plunge at our beaches and rivers.

“We want people to understand water quality when they swim, and have got this great site where they can check both the weekly result, as well as the long-term grade to help them make decisions about where they want to swim," says Anna.

Anyone can use their smartphone to check the traffic light and long-term grade for their favourite swimming spot by going to hbrc.govt.nz and searching #swim.

"It’s best to stay out of the water for 2-3 days following heavy rain.” she adds. “The rule of toes is a great one – if you can’t see your toes, it’s probably not a good idea to go for a swim.”

Team Leader Water Quality and Ecology Vicki Lyon says the environmental monitoring team, which includes university students working through their holidays, goes out every Monday to monitor more than 35 popular recreational water spots across the region, from November until mid-March, she says.

“We’re working closely with a national team to feed results to the ‘Can I Swim Here’ tool at LAWA.org.nz/swim, which is also a plug-in on our website. This gives a great picture of weather, water temperature, facilities and how to get to swim spots,” says Vicki.

Launched in December and running until the end of January, ‘Swim Thru Summer’ promotes an online traffic light system for water quality at beach and river swim spots.

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