Swimmers Warned Of Sea Pollution

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31248, 21 December 1966, Page 22

Swimmers Warned Of Sea Pollution

Advice to avoid swimming off the Scarborough end of Sumner beach at all times because of pollution was issued by the Health Department yesterday. The supervising inspector of health (Mr J. B. Snoad) said the department’s advice was to avoid swimming there at all times.

“Off Sumner beach, near Clifton terrace, there would be less hazard to bathers at high tide, because of the greater dilution occurring at that tide,” he said. Mr Snoad added that shellfish collected anywhere along the Scarborough or Sumner beaches would be dangerous to eat, unless thoroughly cooked. “It would be best to leave them alone,” he said. Heavily Contaminated

Samples of mussels and pipis had been found to be heavily contaminated.

Mr Snoad recalled that after tests made in 1964, which showed that sewage pollution at Scarborough was causing a health hazard for bathers at both Sumner and Scarborough beaches, the public were advised against swimming in these waters, and also against eating shellfish from the area.

The Christchurch Drainage Board took immediate action, giving high priority to the only permanent solution of connecting the Sumner area to the Bromley sewage treatment works,” he added. “In addition, the board undertook to provide some temporary relief by comminut-

ing and chlorinating the sewage discharges from both Sumner and Scarborough until the whole area could be connected to the Bromley works.

“This action was desirable because, although the City Council erected notices warning bathers against swimming in the area, it was realised that some foolhardy persons would ignore the warning. In addition, it was an attempt to make an interim improvement of conditions.” This action, Mr Snoad added, had resulted in some improvement. Doubtless there was less hazard to bathers now than two years ago, but conditions were still unsatisfactory. “As could be expected,” he said, “the sea water shows the heaviest and most consistent pollution at the Scarborough end of the beach, just off the Scarborough playground. “The bacterial standard set for bathing beach waters by the water pollution regulations is that coliform bacteria shall not consistently exceed 1000 per 100 miiilitres,” Mr Snoad said.

Samples Analysed Last week, 42 samples of sea water from points just off the Scarborough playground, off Stoke street, and off Clifton terrace, on the Sumner beach, had been taken. They had been collected two hours before low tide, at low tide, and then two hours after low tide.

“The Government Analyst has reported that of the 14 samples taken off the Scarborough end of the beach, eight samples contained more than 1100 coliforms per 100 miiilitres, one being up to 1300,” he said. “Of the 14 samples taken opposite Stoke street, three contained more than 1100 conforms, and of the 14 samples from opposite Clifton terrace, two contained more than 1100 coliforms.”