Raw sewage is being pumped into the sea off three Christchurch beaches to enable infrastructure repairs.
The sewage is being discharged into the North Beach, Waimairi and Parklands areas and the Canterbury District Health Board is warning people to stay away from those beaches.
The board's chief executive, David Meates, says sewage is seeping onto roads and into residential areas but the discharging of it will enable urgent repairs to be made to damaged pipes.
While the situation is not ideal, Mr Meates says, it's a pragmatic way of dealing with the problem. He says the situation will be reviewed daily.
