Independent community-lead water quality testing of Doubtless Bay’s rivers and streams has highlighted the deteriorated state of water quality in the bay area. As part of Doubtless Bay Community Care for Our Catchment, seven water quality sample sites will be continually monitored over the next three years and reported back to hapu and communities in the Bay. To help raise public awareness of the issues around fresh water quality, the testing aims to summarise both the environmental and human health risk at each site. To achieve this goal the levels of Ph, nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, total solids, bacterial faecal coliform, and bacterial e-coli are tested at each site at least once every month by testing accredited firm Envirolab. Each months results are listed on the page index on the left hand side of this page.
Freshwater quality watch testing sites in Doubtless Bay:
Water samples collected 23 AUGUST 2010
Each marker on the interactive map indicates the location of a water quality sample site. The colour of each marker relates to the water quality for the most recent sample taken. Click on each marker to find out more information.
The water quality at each site is assessed and reported according to the Ministry for the Environment and Ministry of Health ‘Microbiological Water Quality Guidelines for Marine and Freshwater Recreational Areas’ revised and issued in 2003. The guidelines recommend a three-tier (traffic-light) management framework according to single sample results of E. coli. Please note this information cannot be used as advice or guidance. Water quality can vary over time, and may be different from when the samples were taken.
Single sample guidelines for contact recreational
surveys (MfE 2003)
