Draft genome sequences of <i>Escherichia spp.</i> isolates from New Zealand environmental sources

<p dir="ltr"><i>Escherichia coli</i> is often used as a fecal indicator bacterium for water quality monitoring. We report the draft genome sequences of 500 <i>Escherichia</i> isolates including newly described <i>Escherichia</i> species, namely <i>Escherichia marmotae</i>, <i>Escherichia ruysiae,</i> and <i>Escherichia whittamii</i>, obtained from diverse environmental sources to assist with improved public health risk assessments.</p>