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Suitability for Contact Recreation Grades (SFR Grades)

The SFR Grade gives an overall measure of the recreational water quality of a site. It is based on the concentration of indicator bacteria that were measured over five consecutive summers at a site. An assessment of potential sources of contamination that could impact the water quality of a site is also part of the process of assigning an SFR Grade.

Read more about indicator bacteria

Read more about how SFR Grades are assigned

There are five SFR Grades ranging from very good to very poor. The table below shows the grades and their meaning.

SFR Grade Meaning
Very Good Considered satisfactory for swimming at all times.
Good Satisfactory for swimming most of the time with exceptions following rainfall.
Fair Generally satisfactory for swimming. Caution should be taken during periods of high rainfall and swimming avoided if water is discoloured.
Poor Swimming should be avoided, particularly by the very young, the very old and those with compromised immunity.
Very Poor Generally swimming is not recommended.

The SFR Grades are reviewed every two to three years. A site has to be monitored for a minimum of five summers before an SFR Grade can be assigned. However, if only one year is missing, an interim SFR Grade can be assigned. The table below shows the current SFR Grades. Sites marked with two asterisks (**) have interim SFR Grades.

Find out what the MAC (Microbiological Assessment Category) and SIC (Sanitary Inspection Category) mean

Site

SIC
(Sanitary Inspection Category)

MAC
(microbiological Assessment Category)

SFR Grade
(Suitability for Contact Recreation Grade)

Coastal Sites


Moetapu Bay

Insufficient data

Mistletoe Bay

Moderate

C

Fair

Anakiwa

Moderate

C

Fair

Momorangi Bay

Moderate

D

Poor

Ngakuta Bay

Low

B

Good

Governors Bay**

Low

B

Good

Picton Foreshore

Moderate

C

Fair

Waikawa Bay

Low

B

Good

Waikutakuta/Robin Hood Bay East**

Very Low

B

Very Good

Waikutakuta/Robin Hood Bay West**

Low

B

Good

Pukatea/Whites Bay

Very Low

A

Very Good

Marfells Beach

Very Low

A

Very Good

River Sites

Rai River at Rai Falls

Moderate

D

Poor

Te Hoiere/Pelorus River at Pelorus Bridge

Low

B

Good

Te Hoiere/Pelorus River at Totara Flat

Moderate

C

Fair

Wairau River at State Highway 6**

Moderate

C

Fair

Wairau River at Ferry Bridge

Moderate

C

Fair

Wairau River at Blenheim Rowing Club

Moderate

B

Good

Taylor River at Riverside

High

D

Very Poor

Ōpaoa River at Elizabeth Street Bridge

Moderate

C

Fair

Waihopai River at Craiglochart #2

Moderate

C

Poor

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