Dangerous levels of faecal contamination have been found at a popular Auckland beach.
The Auckland Council has erected signs at Judges Bay warning swimmers away while further tests of the water for enterococci bacteria are completed.
The council's manager of regional and environmental control, Marcus Herrmann, says the readings were more than six times the level considered safe.
"There's basically two levels. So an amber warning level is 140 enterococci per 100ml of water and what's considered to be a red, or potential risk, level is 280. The reading at Judges Bay, which was one single reading, was 1800."
Mr Herrmann says the signs will be removed if the results from Thursday's tests, which are due on Friday, show safe levels.
Investigations into the cause of the contamination are continuing.
In Wellington, contamination has lead to the closure of a popular diving platform on the waterfront.
