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Swimming The Government has set a national target of making 90 percent of New Zealand’s rivers and lakes swimmable by 2040. It has changed the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2014 (Freshwater NPS) to support the target. This fact sheet provides information about the changes, which aim to lift water quality for swimming over time.

National and regional targets

The national targets are included in the Freshwater NPS

The national targets are included in the Freshwater NPS, giving them legal status. New policies make it mandatory for regional councils to work towards the targets. The targets apply to rivers that are bigger than fourth order (see the box below), and lakes with perimeters more than 1.5 km. The target applies to these rivers because these are big enough to swim in. Improving these rivers will mean improving the streams that flow into them.

What is a fourth order river or stream? The stream order describes the relative size of streams. Streams with no tributaries are “first order”, streams with two first order tributaries are second order, and with two second order tributaries are third order and so on. Around 90 percent of New Zealand’s catchments flow into rivers that are fourth order or bigger.

Regional targets will contribute to the national target

Regional councils are required to develop targets to contribute to the national target. A new policy (Policy A6) requires them to set draft regional targets by March 2018, and final regional targets by the end of 2018.

Another new policy (Policy A5) requires councils to state what improvements they will make to specified rivers and lakes (and swimming sites in other rivers and lakes) and over what timeframes to make them suitable for swimming more often and work towards their regional targets.

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Requirements to cover more water bodies

All water quality needs to be improved (regardless of the size of a water body)

Regional councils must improve water quality for human health (as measured by the levels of E. coli and planktonic cyanobacteria) in all freshwater management units. This includes not just the rivers and lakes that count towards the target. It also includes the smaller rivers that flow straight to the sea – these must also be improved.

This direction is in new objective (Objective A3) which states that:

‘the quality of fresh water within a freshwater management unit is improved so that the risk to human health for recreation is reduced and it is suitable for immersion primary contact more often, unless:

(a) regional targets have been achieved; or

(b) naturally occurring processes mean further improvement is not possible.’

The National Objectives Framework in Part CA of the NPS (the process councils need to follow to make decisions about the objectives they want for their water bodies) has been amended to require councils to consider how to improve the quality of fresh water so it is suitable for primary contact more often when they set their freshwater objectives. If regional targets are met, or naturally occurring processes prevent further improvement, this matter does not need to be considered.

Councils can choose additional swimming sites

In addition to the rivers and lakes covered by the target, councils need to identify sites that they will manage, regardless of the river or lake size. It is expected that these sites will be decided based on engagement with local communities. All swimming sites must be improved, and councils must do surveillance monitoring of health risks (see below).

New attribute tables for primary contact recreation in lakes and rivers The attribute tables for E. coli and planktonic cyanobacteria (toxic algae) in the Freshwater NPS have been replaced.

• The E. coli attribute table now provides bands that vary according to the amount of time the water quality meets the acceptable swimming threshold of 540 E. coli per 100ml.

• The cyanobacteria attribute table still uses cyanobacteria biovolume, but the C band has been split into a B band and C band.

Both tables provide an indication of the risk to human health associated with each band.

New monitoring requirements

‘Grading’ to provide a long term view

Since 2014, councils have been required to monitor all freshwater management units (at representative sites) for E. coli to check progress towards achieving their freshwater objectives. This is known as ‘grading monitoring’ and must be based on monthly samples. Grading monitoring uses a minimum of 60 samples over a maximum of five years. It will tell you whether water quality is

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improving over time. If water quality is not improving in terms of E. coli and cyanobacteria, the council may need to make changes to its regional plan.

‘Surveillance’ to provide up to date information about current conditions

In addition to grading monitoring, councils must monitor E. coli levels weekly where and when people swim. This is called ‘surveillance monitoring’. Councils must increase sampling if E. coli levels at these swimming sites get to 260 E. coli per 100ml (because this is the level where the risk of infection from Campylobacter starts to jump). If a single sample is greater than 540 E. coli per 100ml councils must take all reasonable steps to notify the public (and keep them informed) that the site is unsuitable for recreation. These requirements are in line with the “Action” and “Alert” modes in the 2003 Microbiological Water Quality Guidelines for Marine and Freshwater Recreational Areas.

The surveillance monitoring process has been specified in the Freshwater NPS because the 2003 guidelines have been applied inconsistently from region to region. The guidelines remain a useful tool for councils because the information they contain on monitoring water quality in marine and freshwater recreational areas is still relevant.

The surveillance monitoring requirements are included in a policy (Policy CB1), and set out in full in new Appendix 5 which sets out the methodology councils must use.

Fact sheets in this series This is one of a series of eight fact sheets providing an overview of the recent changes to National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management.

The full set of fact sheets is available on our website: www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/fresh-water/fact-sheets-changes-freshwater-nps-2017

Find out more Contact the Ministry for the Environment by emailing watercomments@mfe.govt.nz, or visit www.mfe.govt.nz/fresh-water.

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Disclaimer The information in this publication is, according to the Ministry for the Environment’s best efforts, accurate at the time of publication. The information provided does not alter the laws of New Zealand and other official guidelines or requirements. Users should take specific advice from qualified professional people before undertaking any action as a result of information obtained from this publication.

The Ministry for the Environment does not accept any responsibility or liability whether in contract, tort, equity or otherwise for any action taken as a result of reading, or reliance placed on the Ministry for the Environment because of having read any part, or all, of the information in this publication or for any error, or inadequacy, deficiency, flaw in or omission from the information provided in this publication.

Published in August 2017 by the Ministry for the Environment Publication number: INFO 805a