Key points
This indicator measures the numbers faecal bacteria and water clarity in Lake Taupo. Environment Waikato monitors lake water quality to determine how good the water is for contact recreation (such as swimming and water skiing). High levels of bacteria can directly impact on the health and well-being of individuals, as they indicate the presence of pathogens (illness-causing bugs).
- Water quality for contact recreation remains generally satisfactory to excellent in Lake Taupo. However, bacterial levels are sometimes high near urban areas (eg, Taupo foreshore, Te Moenga Bay and Acacia Bay).
Proportion of Lake Taupo samples which meet the ‘excellent’, ‘satisfactory’ and ‘unsatisfactory’ standards for contact recreation
Source: Waikato Regional Council
What agencies are doing
- Environment Waikato is proposing a variation to the Proposed Regional Plan for the Taupo catchment. The aim of the variation is to protect the Lake’s excellent water quality. Needs updating.
- Project Watershed involves Environment Waikato's land and river-based works and services in the greater Waikato catchment. It includes soil conservation schemes designed to reduce sediment loads to the lake and protect the lake’s water quality.
- Environment Waikato manages and requires the monitoring of resource consents to take water or discharge wastewater to waterways, or to dam or divert rivers and streams.
- Environment Waikato tracks changes in water quality for ecological health to update this indicator and to assist policy making and consent decisions.
- We support voluntary guidelines and codes of practice such as the NZ Fertiliser Manufacturer’s Research Association’s Code of Practice for Fertiliser Use.
- We support Care groups that are involved in riparian management such as planting and fencing.
What you can do to help
- Use sustainable farming and forestry practices (for example, follow the Fertiliser Code of Practice, our grazing guidelines, our land disposal of dairy-shed effluent regulations, New Zealand Forestry Code of Practice). Also check out our Landcare groups.
- Fence off waterways from stock access, provide water troughs for stock, and plant along water edges.
- Think before washing substances down stormwater drains. Household and industrial products (such as used oil, paint, pesticides, detergents or disinfectants, dairy products, fats and edible oils) can get washed into Lake Taupo and our local rivers and streams through stormwater drains.
- Wash your car on the lawn so that soapy water soaks into the ground.
- Clean up chemical spills around the home by soaking up the mess.
- Take unused paint and domestic garden sprays to recycling centres.
- Wash boat keels, motors and trailers carefully to remove lake weed, and maintain bilge pumps to reduce oil leaks.
- Dispose of boat sewage at land-based facilities provided at Taupo, Tokaanu and Motuoapa.
More information
More detail on this indicator, including how and where this information is collected, is available here.
What we want to achieve
The community outcomes we are seeking to achieve by monitoring lakes water quality for contact recreation are:
- The iconic landscapes and natural features of our environment define and sustain us. We respect and celebrate them as taonga.
- Our natural environment is protected and respected. Its ecological balance is restored, its air, soil and water quality is improved and its native biodiversity is enhanced.
- The traditional role of iwi and hapu as kaitiaki is acknowledged, respected and enabled.
- Our region’s waterways have consistently high water quality.