Find out if your favourite swimming spot in Canterbury is suitable for swimming this summer.
22 FEBRUARY 2011 EARTHQUAKE UPDATE
If you want to get in or on the water in Christchurch, you should check here for the latest information about potential contamination risk during further sewerage infrastructure repairs.
Summary report of 2011-12 monitoring season
This summary report provides information on the suitability for recreation grades for popular swimming sites across the region, and warnings for potentially toxic cyanobacteria (‘toxic algae’) in rivers and lakes that occurred over the 2011-12 summer season. 
Read the report here (pdf 1.8 MB).
Swimming water quality map
Routine monitoring of popular freshwater and coastal sites in Canterbury began for the 2012-13 summer on 19 November.
Check swimming water quality here or click on the map image below
This map will give you an indication whether a swimming spot is generally suitable for swimming, based on risk of faecal contamination and water testing for faecal indicator bacteria. However, even the cleanest spots can be unsuitable to swim in from time to time when they get contaminated. We recommend that you avoid swimming during or shortly after rainfall as urban or agricultural run-off may affect bathing water quality at these times. If recent faecal contamination at the swimming spot is detected, the district council will erect signs, warning of the health risk.
If you notice any pollution, please contact the Pollution Hotline 24/7 on (03) 366 4663 in Christchurch or 0800 76 55 88 outside of Christchurch.
For information on shellfish food safety, please check:
www.foodsmart.govt.nz.
Note: the snapshot above is merely of part of the map of swimming water spots in Canterbury, you need to click on it to see the full map.
Warnings for toxic algae
Please note:
The swimming water quality grades are based on the Microbiological Water Quality Guidelines for Marine and Freshwater Recreational Areas. They assess the risk of contracting a disease from pathogens and do not consider the risks from the presence of toxic algae. Where potentially toxic algae Phormidium have been observed as part of our summer monitoring programme, an additional warning has been added to the affected sites on the map.