Nearly 40 Auckland beaches are overwhelmed by faecal contamination and deemed unsafe for swimming after heavy rain hit the area on Saturday.
Auckland Council's SafeSwim website has issued warnings for 37 beaches, saying there is a high risk of illness from swimming.
The "high risk of illness" alert is triggered when there's a greater than 2 percent chance of getting sick from swimming at a beach.
Heavy rain fell in Auckland on Friday and Saturday, which is one of the causes of poorer water quality at beaches.
"Rainfall after long spells of dry weather can also carry a 'first flush' of dirty water through the stormwater network onto beaches and into urban waterways - including water contaminated with animal faeces, oil, metals and rubber from tyres, microplastics and litter," Auckland Council says.
"At beaches that are largely outside of urban areas and beside regional parks, water quality will often remain good despite large amounts of rain."
Beaches that carry a high risk of illness from swimming
North Shore
- Okoromai Bay
- Little Manly
- Rothesay Bay
- Wairau Outlet
- Christmas Beach
- Soldiers Bay
- Kendall Bay
Central
- Granny's Bay
- Oakley Creek
- Meola Reef
- Cox's Bay
- Judges Bay
- Okahu Bay
- Kohimarama Beach
- St Heliers
West
- Bethells Lagoon
- North Piha Lagoon
- Piha South Lagoon
- Huia Beach
- Fosters Bay
- Titirangi Beach
- Wood Bay
- Green Bay
- Blockhouse Bay
East
- Little Bucklands
- Big Bucklands
- Howick
- Sunkist Bay
- Maraetai Beach
- Umupuia Duders
- Kawakawa Bay
South
- Weymouth South
- Torkar Bay
- Glenbrook Beach
Waiheke Island
- Little Oneroa Lagoon
Great Barrier Island
- Pah
- Mulberry Grove
