Water quality is an issue the public of Auckland city reflect on during the summer time. Human and natural factors can contribute to creating a potential health risk for people who are considered to be in primary contact with the water. Primary contact is when an individual has direct contact with the water and can submerge themselves; examples include, swimming, surfing or water sports. Human activity such as agriculture run-off, storm water or sewage discharge can result in a rise in microbiological contamination (Ministry for the environment, 2013). Weymouth beach and Cox’s Bay can be discussed in regards to their permanent health warnings and what management regimes have been put in place. Water quality is monitored and health effects managed by a number of organisations, enabling the public to assess whether beaches are safe to swim in. The primary government organisations are the Auckland city council and the Ministry for the Environment (MFI). Management of areas with poor water quality include putting up signs and closing off beaches. This essay will discuss and critique the methods conducted to communicated and manage the issue of water quality in recreational beaches within Auckland city to protect the public’s health.
In the state of Auckland region summary (2013) the Auckland City council say that there are six local councils that take weekly samples of 76 bathing beaches that are used for recreational use around Auckland during the summer season. These tests examine enterococci bacteria levels in the water as an indicator of water quality to ensure water is safe for swimming. Many pathogens contaminate water from origins such as human or animal faecal matter which is why enterococci (in marine environments) and Esc...
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...to test and communicate the safety of water used are adequate to the best of the Auckland city councils capabilities. Natural hazards like heavy rain fall may rapidly change the condition of a beach and because test results can take up to 72 hours before they are known the public could be at risk. Rules are in place and the public are advised to follow all beach signs including when beaches are closed to minimise the potential health effects. If the public follow these rules, and are aware of grades such as the Suitability for recreational grade and the Swim Safe grades the health effects will be managed remarkably well. However; the root cause of bacterial contamination must be analysed and appropriately death with to dramatically reduce the amount of unsafe beaches around Auckland city to enhance and properly manage the quality of recreational use of beaches.
There is a very brief window until the games begin in Rio, but they still have lots to accomplish before the opening ceremony. The Guanabara Bay, the host site for Olympic sailing and windsurfing events made international headlines because of its polluted waters. Kaiser says that “as part of Rio’s Olympic bid there was a promise that has yet to be fulfilled to clean up the bay by 80 percent”(Kaiser). By January Andrea Correa, the state environment secretary confessed that this would not be possible(qtd. in Kaiser). They are only at 49% of their clean up goal currently. While Mayor Eduardo Paes told CNN last June that “pollution does not pose any health risks for the athletes ”(qtd. Kaiser). On the other hand Moscatelli disagrees, he claims, “that sailing in the bay is like playing Russian roulette “(qtd. in Kaiser). He warns “that sailors run the risk of hitting anything from plastic bags to car bumpers, pieces of wood, tires and even furniture,”(qtd. Kaiser). He discusses how if the sailors fall into the water they may possibly be victims of gastrointestinal infections, mycoses, otitis or hepatitis. The fact that the pollution of the water could potentially affect those who get in the waters health is not a good sign for Rio. This shows that they may be unfit to handle the Olympics and the the preparation is ruining their city even
The ocean is inhabited by many and loved by all. Whether you surf the waves or use it for recreational purposes, its important to us all. There are dangers to the ocean that anyone who bathes in it should be aware of. Besides the obvious dangers of the current and the pounding waves, there are possible microscopic enemies at large. Every year the beaches are closed for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it may be for a surfing contest, or if the waves are too dangerous, but the most overlooked may be ocean contaminants. Around 20% of ocean water pollution occurs naturally. Its important for the public to aware of the contaminants that reach our waters and how they get there.
For this essay I have chosen an area of the coastline in Hervey Bay to represent and explain the coastal and environmental issues. The area of coastline chosen is at Torquay beach, between Bideford Street and Macks Road.
Urban runoff is the pollution washed into the oceans from, “irrigation runoff, households, and storm events, as well as contributions of raw sewage from degrading infrastructure and accidental spills,” (Dwight Fernandez). Urban runoff is a major issue facing California’s beach water quality. The two main sources of coastal water pollution in California are treated sewage and urban runoff, and in Southern California urban runoff is the primary cause of contamination in coastal waters (Brinks). Analysis has shown that urban runoff waters contain, “infectious and toxic pollutants,” posing a serious risk to beachgoers across California (Dwight, Fernandez). Southern California’s dense urban infrastructure, in particular, is conducive to generating urban runoff that is washed int...
The water quality of the ocean is diminishing due to chemical run-off from farms. The run- off begins into small catchments which eventually reach our reefs with devastating outcomes. The pesticides and herbicides used on farmlands are high in phosphorus which is a harmful chemical to our reef flora and fauna. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF, 2015) states that 60 kilometres inside the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area harmful concentrations of pesticides are being detected. And a staggering one-third of the reef is exposed to herbicides (WWF, 2015). These chemicals are often dispersed in excess of what is needed. In areas such as Far North Queensland, summer represents an increase in pests, and weeds. This is also
Hawai’i is a prime example of an area that is strongly affected by this growing issue. One of the main reasons why Hawai’i is such a popular destination is because of its beautiful coral reefs and marine life, but with the increase of tourism, coastal beaches and popular snorkel destinations are becoming saturated with contaminants that come from sunscreen and other personal care products used by
The problem of not having clean drinking water has led to many diseases in America. In Gleick’s academic journal titled ...
Major efforts have been taken to protect the health of humans from contaminated water during recreation, especially swimming. For many years, waters have been tested for certain types of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) – bacteria commonly found in human and animal feces. While FIB generally do not cause human disease, FIB in the water may indicate the presence of feces and associated pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and protozoans – organisms and agents which have also been found ...
Meaning that drinking unsanitized and unfiltered water can expose you to harmful types of microorganisms and other harmful things to take in such as dirt and decomposed plant life, which can lead to illness. The results of our experiments also answered our question, “Does water treatment kill all living things in the water? If the treated water is containing any microorganism then should we drink it?” Well as we studied local treated water in our experiments we did not find bacteria, but in the case of if you did find harmful or non-harmful bacteria in your water. Contact your local authorities so they can take care of the problem, but in the meantime drink bottled
“Recreational water illnesses (RWIs) are caused by germs spread by swallowing, breathing in mists or aerosols of, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, hot tubs, water parks, water play areas, interactive fountains, lakes, rivers, or oceans. RWIs can also be caused by chemicals in the water or chemicals that evaporate from the water and cause indoor air quality problems. RWIs may include a wide variety of infections, including gastrointestinal, skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic and wound infections. Many RWIs (skin, ear, eye, respiratory, neurologic, wound, and other infections) are caused by germs that live naturally in the environment (for example, in water and soil)” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
There has been a recent report claiming that ‘our streams and rivers show good to excellent water quality on most measures’(TRC, 2015b), however an article by Joy (2014) would appear to be at odds with the TRC report conclusions. The public are very interested in the quality of the Taranaki waterways and are not sure what to believe.
Manly Beach is one of Australia’s most iconic and popular beaches with it spaning 1.5km long, it is located 16km north east of the Sydney CBD. Like many other beautiful beaches along the Australian coast, Manly is threatened by climate changes that lead to sea level rises resulting in shoreline recession and coastal erosions. This report will discuss the physical, environmental, economic and social impact of these problems.
Jamaica is known for beautiful scenic beaches, waterways, forests, and mountains. Many of these are facing environmental issues. These environmental issues are deforestation, water pollution, coral reef damage, and air pollution in Jamaica’s capital city of Kingston (CNO, 2013). The main reason for these environmental issues is a result of the rapid growth of the Jamaican population, urbanization, and tourism.
Contaminants and chemicals in drinking water cause adverse effects on health. These contaminants incudes arsenic, lead, petrochemicals, heavy metals, chlorinated solvents and high levels of fluoride. People have been found to suffer from arsenic skin lesions due to high concentrations of arsenic in water. Polluted water tends to spread water borne diseases, which are typically infectious and are spread directly or through flies and filth. According to Gerald (1996) Sewage in an example of how water pollution affect human, sewage discharged into coastal water can wash up on beaches and cause a health hazard. People who bathe or surf in the water can easily get ill if they swallow polluted
Local, regional and global assessments of water quality monitoring data help in illustration of key features of aquatic environments, while explaining the positive and negative impact of human activities. Clear and concise background knowledge on water quality can further help in other water assessments.