Frequently asked questions
Using Safeswim
The risks of swimming at the beach
If a green pin is showing on Safeswim then the risk of getting sick from swimming is less than 2%. This means that, on average, around 2 out every 100 swimmers might get sick after swimming. In most cases, the likelihood of getting sick will be a lot less than this.
If a red pin is showing on Safeswim then the risk may be much higher than 2% due to contamination caused by stormwater or overflows. This means you have a much higher chance of getting sick if you swim when a red pin is showing.
Long-term alerts are used at locations where water sampling shows that water quality consistently exceeds national guideline values for swimming and cannot be accurately modelled. Where a permanent red pin (long-term alert) is showing, the risk of illness from swimming is estimated to be more than 10%.
The black water quality pin on Safeswim indicates that the beach has been affected by a wastewater overflow. While the risk of illness cannot be reliably estimated, Auckland Council and Watercare strongly advise against swimming in locations where a black pin is showing as untreated wastewater is present.