How do you know if your beach is okay to swim at?

After a couple of days of rough weather and some heavy rain, beaches all around Wellington’s south coast and in the inner harbour have been slapped with an unsuitable for swimming status.

The problem isn’t confined to the capital. Many Auckland’s beaches are often unswimmable after rain, and Christchurch is looking at a plan to divert wastewater into the ocean outfall pipe as the council struggles to control a stench from fire-damaged treatment ponds at Bromley.