The good news is that a south island beach plagued with high levels
of fecal bacteria recently received a clean bill of health from
state regulators.
The bad news is that two other beaches had their status downgraded, marking the south and north-end stretches of shoreline as prohibited for shellfish harvesting.
The solution for the newly-clean two-mile beach was fairly simple: a handful of waterfront residents fixed their septic systems after health and city officials notified them of the problem.
Even though the downgraded beaches are also likely suffering from bad septics, local health officials are scrounging for enough money to investigate and inform residents of the necessary fixes.
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