Pakuratahi River at Hutt Forks
This site is located in Kaitoke Regional Park, in the upper reaches of the Hutt catchment. The Pakuratahi River is a tributary of the Hutt River and drains the northern part of the catchment. The site is publicly accessible from the Eastern Hutt Road or the Hutt River Trail, and is a popular picnic spot.
This site is monitored as a part of Greater Wellington Regional Council’s Recreational Water Quality Programme, which is specifically designed to inform the public about the suitability of various sites across the region for swimming and other recreational activities.
The safety of water for swimming is determined by measuring ‘faecal indicator bacteria’ (E. coli) which indicates the likely levels of pathogens in the water. Monitoring is conducted on a weekly basis over the summer months (December to March).
It is generally safe to swim at this site during dry weather. However the site is known to be affected by faecal contamination from rural and urban run-off following heavy or prolonged rainfall. We therefore advise people not to swim for at least two days after heavy rain.
For the latest water quality information, please go to the GWRC website, or check out the latest recreational water quality reports.