Tomahawk Beach west and east and Westwood beach have been closed by the Dunedin City Council.
The restrictions at Beachlands beach were lifted yesterday morning.
The council issued a statement on Thursday advising the public the red-level alert had been issued after Enterococci levels were found to have met the criteria under the recreational water quality guidelines.
‘‘Recent water quality testing at city beaches has indicated elevated levels of faecal coliforms and Enterococci.’’
Enterococci are bacteria found in the gut of humans, birds and other warm-blooded animals.
‘‘They indicate the presence of faecal material in seawater,’’ the council website said.
The council called on the public to obey all warning signage and not swim, collect shellfish, or have any contact with seawater.
‘‘The results do not identify a specific contamination source, but elevated levels can occur following rainfall when contaminants are washed into waterways and coastal areas, including by surface runoff,’’ the council said.
On Monday, after heavy rain, the council issued a statement reminding swimmers, surfers and shellfish gatherers to stay out of the water for 72 hours due to the risk of contamination from wet-weather overflows. — Allied Media
