Water quality monitoring starts up ahead of the summer

The Pātea River is a popular cooling off spot for pets and people alike, but before you jump in, make sure you check TRC.govt.nz/Can-I-Swim-Here to find out the latest water quality results.

Taranaki Regional Council’s "Can I Swim Here?" water quality monitoring programme has begun and will run through until the end of March 2024.

Testing of popular swimming and water recreational spots is carried out and published online every week. The results are easy to read, with a traffic light system showing "Suitable for swimming", "Caution advised", and "Unsuitable for swimming".

Environmental Health Manager, Rachael Otter, says along with checking the latest water quality results, it's important to do a sense check too.

"If we've had heavy or prolonged rain, give swimming a miss for three days to avoid any contaminants that have been washed into the water. And if the water looks murky, it's best to come back when it's clear."

"We'll put up signage if the results show the river is not safe for swimming, but always check the TRC website too, as you might miss the signage, or your dog could like jumping in where we don't have any signs up."

If you have concerns about water pollution, please make a report to the Taranaki Regional Council’s pollution hotline on 0800 736 222.