Friday 11 January 2019

New Zealand - poisoned Paradise

All these articles, taken together, attests to a major problem with New Zealand’s rivers and clean drinking water, inexcusible in such as small country that is nevertheless surpassing its carrying capacity.
E-coli closes popular Taranaki swimming holes

Unless people know about the water quality in an area, they should not swim or should avoid putting their heads under the water.



Tests found high levels of the bacteria at Queenstown Bay on Sunday, and the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) were advising people to avoid contact with the water until the levels subsided on Monday morning.

Swimmers were also advised to stay out of the water at Frankton Bay on two occasions last summer due to high E coli levels, which can cause people to become sick.

Tests found high levels of the bacteria at Queenstown Bay on Sunday, and the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) were advising people to avoid contact with the water until the levels subsided on Monday morning.


Swimmers were also advised to stay out of the water at Frankton Bay on two occasions last summer due to high E coli levels, which can cause people to become sick.


Lake Wakatipu from Frankton.


Fluctuating E coli levels in Queenstown's Lake Wakatipu are going largely unexplained, prompting calls for more scientific research.

Tests found high levels of the bacteria at Queenstown Bay on Sunday, and the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) were advising people to avoid contact with the water until the levels subsided on Monday morning.

Swimmers were also advised to stay out of the water at Frankton Bay on two occasions last summer due to high E coli levels, which can cause people to become sick.

Selwyn River

Scientific testing of three rivers in Canterbury has revealed strains of a severe pathogen which can cause kidney failure and, possibly for the first time, antibiotic resistant E. coli.

The Selwyn River was one of three tested in May and September. Photo: Green Ideas editor Greg Roughan

The independent testing commissioned by Fish and Game has raised red flags for public health officials who say that it needs more investigation.

Samples were collected from above and below the biggest farms - all dairy - on the Ashley, Selwyn and Rangitata rivers in May and September and independently tested by Massey University's Institute of Agriculture and Environment.

Fish and Game commissioned the testing after anglers started questioning whether they could get infected from the river pollution and large numbers of dairy cows in Canterbury.

The findings showed the presence of an antibiotic-resistant E. coli and another dangerous strain of the bacteria called Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).

The two most common E. coli found in the testing come only from ruminants such as cows.

Fish and Game chief executive Martin Taylor said the first tests were so alarming it commissioned a second round to confirm the findings.

It it showed the contamination of Canterbury waterways was primarily due to intensive dairy farming, he said.


"The results indicate swimming in these rivers could be like playing Russian roulette with the health of you and your family," he said......



Close up of Phormidium in Opihi River.

A health warning has been issued for parts of two rivers in South Canterbury, where high levels of potentially toxic blue-green algae have been found


A man is missing after swimming in the Hutt River last night.

Two dogs have died this year after consuming toxic algae from the Hutt River




Lake Forsyth on the Banks Peninsula is green with toxic slime.

Poisonous water in a Canterbury lake has killed sheep and household pets, after recurring algal blooms made the water toxic.

Locals say that after several years of improvement, the water in Lake Forsyth on the Banks Peninsula has deteriorated after a run of dry weather.

For the last few months, large parts of the lake have been green, with toxic green slime seeping onto its shores.

Signs warn that the water is dangerous for humans and animals.

Several weeks ago, a farmer lost around 30 sheep after they died drinking water from the lake.

"It's in a very bad state this year, which is actually quite surprising. The quality of the lake has been improving for the last five years," said Banks Peninsula zone committee chair Steve Lowndes.

"This year, it's gone backwards."




Image result for e coli napier hawkes bay

Napier City Council has announced a second positive result for e-coli in the Enfield Road water reservoir.

On Thursday the Hawke's Bay District Health Board and Napier City Council agreed to chlorinate Napier's Enfield Rd reservoir after routine testing returned a positive test for e-coli.

Another positive result was returned today, however the council was reassuring residents it showed the very lowest e-coli reading detectable and the source had been isolated to one tank of the two housed at the reservoir.

Napier City Council's Manager Asset Strategy Chris Dolley said, "the reservoir is made up of two tanks - the largest of the two has returned consistently clear results however the smaller of the two has tested positive for e-coli".


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About 120 households in rural Otago are being warned not to drink the water from their bores after testing found high levels of the faecal bacteria E. coli.

Otago Regional Council chief executive Sarah Gardner said the worst result in the Lower Waitaki plains area was from March.

"The levels have spiked at quite a high number - I understand at around 150 [colony forming units - or viable cells - per millilitre] above what the drinking water standard is.

"At other times, they have been relatively close to the standard - but not as close as they should be."

The safe level for drinking water is "less than one" colony forming unit per millilitre.....

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