Woman's 'nasty' skin infection likely caused by swimming at contaminated beach
Kia ora neighbours.
A woman who likely got a “nasty” skin infection during a swim at Narrowneck Beach believes it is “unacceptable” that people cannot go swimming without fear of getting sick.
Devonport resident Vanessa Ingraham developed a staph and e coli infection on her legs about four weeks ago. Her doctor believes she caught it from swimming not long after shaving her legs.
Ingraham, who moved to New Zealand from the Bahamas seven years ago, said she didn’t know about Auckland’s storm water issues until she got her infection.
During heavy rain, water contaminated with animal faeces, oil, rubbish, metals and rubber from tyres is often flushed through the storm water network and onto beaches, a Watercare spokeswoman said.
Auckland’s wastewater network is also known to overflow during heavy rain, which causes sewage to spill out from manholes, gully traps, pump stations and engineered overflow points into properties, waterways and the sea.
Auckland Council’s Swimsafe website, which provides real-time forecasts of beach water quality, recommends people avoid swimming for 48 hours following heavy rainfall.
“You have to check to see if it’s safe to swim? This is a foreign concept,” Ingraham said.
Click 'read more' for the full story, including info from the Auckland Regional Public Health Service.
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
-
82.3% Yes
-
15% No
-
2.7% Other - I'll share below
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Loading…
