A swimming and fishing ban warning may soon be lifted at Pandora Pond and Ahuriri Estuary following a sewage spill 10 days ago.

It comes as the Napier Port Ocean Swim is due to take place a few hundred yards away this Saturday.

Napier City Council erected signage around Pandora Pond and the Ahuriri Estuary on Monday February 7, after three manholes overflowed at Onekawa, Pandora and Tamatea.

The sewage spill happened during the heaviest 24-hour rainfall in Napier since the infamous November 2020 flood.

A council spokeswoman said the latest test results from the pond showed “high levels of enterococci” and further tests would be returned on Friday.

Enterococcus is a bacterium found in feces.

“Additional samples were taken on Wednesday which will provide final results on Friday,” she said. “The DHB will then advise us whether or not to remove the signs.”

Meanwhile, a seasonal coastal algal bloom – unrelated to the warning and sewage spill – has been reported in Napier.

Some residents took to social media this week to report discoloration in the water near Westshore.

“The bleached coastal waters of Westshore are unlikely to be linked [to the spill]“, said the spokeswoman for the council.

“This could be due to what appears to be a seasonal coastal algal bloom that is currently spreading across the entire bay.”

Another warning sign has been erected in Taradale next to a pond on the popular Maggie’s Way walking track, warning of a poisonous bacteria that is deadly to dogs.

“The panels were installed due to seasonal blooms of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), which occur in fresh water,” the council spokeswoman said.

“Blue-green algae is deadly to dogs, so we would like to advise the public to be vigilant in controlling their dogs around sensitive areas such as Maggie’s Way Pond.

“The warning has been in place for a few weeks and we will check regularly until we are satisfied there is no risk.”