Improving Bathing Water Quality: Auckland Case Studies

Stormwater Conference

Many of Auckland’s beaches are subject to intermittent microbiological contamination, which poses a risk to human health through recreational contact. Auckland’s Safeswim website and beach signage communicates near real-time bathing risk at beaches over the summer months. Long-term health warning signage is erected at beaches with poor long-term water quality and Auckland Council has a programme that investigates these catchments to identify the faecal sources. Intervention solutions are then implemented to improve water quality.

The presence of microbiological contamination within the marine environment is often presumed to be the result of human related sources, such as wet weather-induced combined sewer and designed wastewater overflows into streams or directly from coastal stormwater outfalls. In addition, aging infrastructure, private septic systems or cross connections may contribute microbiological contaminants to the stormwater network and associated open waterways. However, non-human sources of contamination from domestic, wild and farmed animals and birds also enter the aquatic environment directly or via overland flow.

Effective management of microbiological contamination requires knowledge of the source animal so that appropriate intervention solutions can be applied. Recent advancements in molecular techniques have permitted the use of genetic markers to distinguish between sources of faecal pollution. Auckland Council’s Healthy Waters department investigates these sources of faecal contamination and uses intervention solutions such as education, enforcement, stock exclusion, planting or a combination of solutions to reduce and eliminate sources of faecal pollution.

This paper will present a range of Auckland case studies that have been carried out by Auckland Council to investigate the sources of faecal contamination. These case studies will describe the investigation process and the sources of faecal contamination identified in each beach catchment. The case studies will also highlight the lessons learned from identifying and resolving the catchment faecal contamination issues.

Conference Papers

1030 - Tom Porter - Improving Bathing Water Qualit - WaterNZ presentation TH 21052018 1558.pdf

pdf
4 MB
28 Jun 2018

1. Improving Bathing Water Quality Auckland Case Studies.pdf

pdf
196 KB
28 Jun 2018