Auckland swimming information: Beaches to keep away from and clear spots to go to this summer time

It points colour-coded flags that point out the danger of getting sick attributable to faeces within the water.

Black “do not swim” warnings, the best degree of warning, are issued when wastewater has been detected.

Lower alert ranges, similar to crimson flags, advise towards swimming.

Due to poor water high quality, 17 swimming spots have everlasting advisories towards swimming.

Judges Bay spent all of final summer time below a black warning, which stays this summer time due to harm to the wastewater community sustained throughout storms in 2023 (Auckland Anniversary and Cyclone Gabrielle).

The harm has been repaired, however wastewater from non-public properties is being discharged into the stormwater community, which drains into the bay.

“These issues are currently being investigated and repaired to allow the removal of the black pin as soon as possible,” Auckland Council Safeswim principal Holly Foreman mentioned.

Other swimming spots with essentially the most frequent water high quality flags final summer time (November 1, 2024, to April 30, 2025) have been Kawakawa Bay, Surfdale and Algies Bay.

Home Bay on Motutapu, Te Tinana (Wilson’s Beach) in Hobson Bay, and Herne Bay additionally function on this checklist of the ten seashores with warnings for the best variety of swimmable hours.

One of the principle causes of the warnings is sea bather’s eruption, a rash brought on by sure sea anemones and thimble jellyfish.

Last summer time, loads of Auckland swimmers reported getting the rash and the council is warning the identical factor may occur within the coming months.

“As sea temperatures rise coming into summer, it’s quite possible Auckland could again experience sea bather’s eruption this year, similar to last summer.”

Foreman mentioned not swimming within the shallows for prolonged durations and altering out of swimwear as quickly as attainable have been suggested to keep away from getting bitten.

Slimy algae additionally threatens beachgoers’ swimming expertise, with blooms of the cyanobacteria Okeania spp attainable this summer time.

Foreman mentioned no concern was wanted for the algae, however the council has suggested folks to keep away from touching it as a result of pores and skin, eye and respiratory irritation have been attainable.

The desk beneath reveals Auckland’s cleanest seashores, the place no warnings have been issued final summer time.

Other clear spots embrace Piha South Beach, Bethells Beach, Waiwera Beach, Parakai Beach and Palm Beach, all of which had lower than 1% of their swimmable hours below a warning final summer time.

Infrastructure fixes

Watercare had invested $8 billion to construct and improve wastewater infrastructure, head of wastewater Jon Piggot informed the Herald.

“Our $1.67b Central Interceptor project will go a long way towards cleaning up Auckland’s central beaches and waterways, reducing wet-weather overflows by about 80% in its catchment area when it is completed in late 2026.”

The super-sized tunnel is the most important wastewater infrastructure undertaking in New Zealand historical past.

It will join with mixed stormwater/wastewater networks in older central suburbs and take flows to Māngere Wastewater Treatment Plant for processing.

The tunnel will run from Pt Erin in Herne Bay all the way in which to the remedy plant.

Meanwhile, a sewer improve, set to complete in 2028, would deliver actual outcomes to Herne Bay and St Mary’s Bay, Piggot mentioned.

Herne Bay repeatedly sees wastewater overflow; final summer time it was below a black warning for 19.3% of swimmable hours.

Overflows have improved across the Tāmaki River, Point England Reserve and Ōmaru Creek, with funding into two pump stations and a sewer.

Between July 2024 and June 2025, no overflows have been recorded at Point England Reserve and Ōmaru Creek.

In that very same interval the 12 months prior, 29 overflows have been skilled in that space, Piggot mentioned.

How waste will get into the water

Watercare categorises wastewater overflows into two varieties: dry and moist.

The former is when blockages trigger the wastewater community to overflow, whereas the latter is when rain overwhelms the community.

Blockages leading to dry overflows are sometimes brought on by oil and fat being poured down the drain or merchandise similar to moist wipes or sanitary merchandise being flushed down the bathroom.

Watercare spent about $5.5m a 12 months cleansing up overflows brought on by such blockages, mentioned Piggot.

A large number of things causes moist overflows, together with stormwater stepping into the wastewater community by way of non-public gully traps, downpipes that drain into the community, ageing pipes, and manholes that aren’t watertight.