Health New Zealand is warning people not to swim in North Canterbury's Ashley River after high levels of faecal bacteria were found.
In a statement on Friday, Medical Officer of Health Dr Cheryl Brunton said the Ashley River / Rakahuri at State Highway 1 "is not considered suitable for recreational uses, including swimming, because of the risk to health from the bacteria and other pathogens".
"Water contaminated by human or animal faecal matter may contain a range of disease-causing micro-organisms such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa," Brunton said.
- To keep up to date with the current waterway health warnings, go to https://info.health.nz/health-alerts
