Recreational water

Community and Public Health is involved with the quality of coastal waters and freshwater waterways which are used for a range of recreational activities such as swimming, sailing, boating, surfing, water skiing, underwater diving and shellfish gathering.

The quality of recreational water is an important environmental health and resource management issue.

Shellfish biotoxin alert for West Coast region

Ministry for Primary Industries media release: 13th February 2019

A public health warning has been issued advising the public not to collect or consume shellfish harvested from between Hector south to Greigs on the South Island’s West Coast.

Routine tests on shellfish samples taken from Cape Foulwind has shown levels of diarrhetic shellfish toxins above the safe limit. Anyone eating shellfish from this area is potentially at risk of illness. Ongoing testing will continue.

Mussels, oysters, tuatua, pipi, toheroa, cockles, scallops, catseyes, kina (sea urchin) and all other bivalve shellfish should not be eaten. Be aware that cooking shellfish does not remove the toxin.

Pāua, crab and crayfish may still be eaten if the gut has been completely removed prior to cooking, as toxins accumulate in the gut. Gut contents could contaminate the meat during the cooking process, if the gut is not removed.

Symptoms typically appear within half an hour of ingestion and last for about 24 hours. Symptoms may include:

• diarrhoea;
• vomiting;
• nausea; and
• abdominal cramps.

Phone Healthline for advice (0800 61 11 16) if anyone becomes ill after eating shellfish from an area where a public health warning has been issued or seek medical attention immediately. Also contact Community and Public Health (03 768 1160) and keep any leftover shellfish in case it can be tested.

Health Risks Associated with Contaminated Water

Water can be contaminated by human or animal excreta (poo) containing disease causing micro-organisms such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa.

Contamination poses a health hazard when the water is used for recreational activities such as swimming and other high contact water sports.

There is a risk that water will be swallowed, inhaled or come into contact with ears, nasal passages, mucous membranes or cuts in the skin, allowing pathogens or algal toxins to enter the body.

The symptoms of exposure to contaminated water are usually minor and short lived, however there is the potential for more serious diseases including hepatitis A, giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis.

Health Risks associated with Algal Blooms

Algal blooms are appearing more frequently in our waterways. Algal blooms in lakes can be blue/green in colour floating on the surface or colourless globules suspended in the water.

Algal blooms are also found in rivers as blackish benthic mat-forming cyanobacteria clinging to rocks or collecting at the riverbank. Some cyanobacteria species are known to produce toxins.

Symptoms of exposure to toxic algae can range from allergic reactions, asthma, eye irritations, and rashes to rapid onset of nausea and diarrhoea to gastroenteritis to other specific effects such as liver damage and possibly developing cancers.

• Find out more about the public health risks of toxic algal blooms [PDF].

Health Risks associated with Mahinga kai

Water containing micro-organisms, chemicals, phytoplankton or cyanobacteria can pose a risk to health through recreational contact, drinking and gathering Mahinga kai.

Mahinga kai species associated with water are fish (including tuna and inanga), kanakana shellfish (such as mussels, oysters, scallops, tuangi and tuatua) as well as seaweed and watercress.

• Find out about the public health risks around mahinga kai gathered from water [PDF].

Responsibility for Monitoring Water Quality

Regional councils like Environment Canterbury coordinate the monitoring of the various sites throughout our region and inform Community and Public Health and the territorial local authority (TLA) if contamination levels present a potential health risk.

The Territorial Local Authority places warning signs to inform the public where a health risk is identified, and takes steps to remove the contamination if possible.

Community and Public Health supports the TLAs in advising the public of the risk and ensuring that they deal with the contamination appropriately.

• Find out the latest on recreational water quality in Canterbury (Environment Canterbury).
• Find out the latest on recreational water quality on the West Coast (West Coast Regional Council).

Documents

• Our Fresh Water 2017 (Ministry for the Environment 2017)
• NZ Guidelines for Cyanobacteria in Recreational Fresh Waters: Interim Guidelines (Ministry for the Environment 2009)
• Microbiological Water Quality Guidelines for Marine and Freshwater Recreational Areas (Ministry for the Environment 2003)

Downloads

Download or order resources from the Community Health Information Centre.

• Recreational Water Quality: What you need to know
• Cryptosporidium
• Public Health and Mahinga Kai gathered from water

Links

• Environment Canterbury (ECAN)
• West Coast Regional Council (WCRC)
• Ministry for the Environment