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Fresh water Recreational water quality
Compliance of monitored freshwater swimming spots for 2003–2009
Recreational water quality at monitored freshwater sites has been relatively stable at a national scale, over the last six years. The number of sites with samples that met the guidelines for contact recreation on at least 95% of sampling occasions has fluctuated between 41 and 60 per cent.
Compliance of monitored freshwater swimming spots with guidelines for contact recreation, 2003–2009
| Compliance category | Proportion of sites in each compliance category | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
| 95 to 100% of samples comply (water quality is suitable for swimming almost all the time) | 41% | 52% | 49% | 60% | 48% | 54% |
| 90 to <95% of samples comply | 22% | 16% | 22% | 13% | 20% | 18% |
| 75 to <90% of samples comply | 24% | 20% | 15% | 17% | 19% | 18% |
| Less than 75% of samples comply (water quality is often unsuitable for swimming) | 14% | 12% | 14% | 10% | 13% | 10% |
Notes:
(1) Results for each summer are based on data from about 200 freshwater sites where at least 10 water quality samples were taken. The number of sites varies from year to year as regional monitoring programmes change. For example, the summer with the fewest monitored sites (153) was 2003-2004 and the summer with the most monitored sites (230) was 2006-2007.
(2)
Compliance with the guidelines for contact recreation is based on the threshold of 550 E. coli per 100 millilitres of water sampled.
Source: Data collected by regional, city and district councils and collated by Ministry for the Environment.
Want to know more?
The snapshot report on freshwater recreational water quality for 2003 to 2009 has more detail on:
- what affects coastal water quality
- the associated public health risks
- how samples are collected
- what sites are monitored
- accessing data for beaches in your area
- what the results mean.
Individual councils may know the cause of non-compliance with guidelines at certain sites. If you would like to know more about water quality in your area, contact your local council.
The above information has come from the snapshot report on recreational water quality and Environment New Zealand 2007.
Return to the compliance of water quality at freshwater swimming spots with guidelines page.
Last updated: 29 June 2009
