Potential sewage contamination prompts local hapū to place rāhui on part of Waikato River

A potential sewage contamination has forced a Waikato hapū to place a rāhui on part of the Waikato River until further notice.

The Ngāti Naho Trust and local Kaumātua say they have put the rāhui in place to protect the awa and the local community. It covers the area from the southern end of Meremere to Te Puaha o Waikato (Port Waikato).

In a statement made today, the trust said it had a meeting with the Waikato Regional Council last week when it became aware that the resource consent for the Meremere Waste Water Treatment Plant expired in May 2018.

The trust said after further investigation, it was discovered that earlier this week sewage had been discharged from the plant into the river.

Hadyn Solomon, principal negotiator for the trust, says they’ve met and spoken with both Waikato Regional Council and Waikato District Council to get answers and action. 

“It appears a number of agencies and authorities have dropped the ball here, given the resource consent expired over a year and a half ago,” said Mr Solomon.

He said it’s not acceptable.

“The rāhui will remain in place until a clear and proper process is in place to address the resource consent and, more importantly, the current state of the river,” he said.

But a spokesperson for the Waikato Regional Council, Wendy Valois, says it is a district council matter, and the regional council has received no reports of raw sewage discharging into the river at Meremere.

“We also have had no reports from either Waikato District Council or Watercare to advise of any operational issues at the Meremere wastewater treatment plant,” she said.

While the trust highlighted that the resource consent has expired, Ms Valois said the regional council is currently processing a new discharge consent application from the district council for the Meremere plant.

“Waikato District Council and Watercare have been working to address an ongoing issue around elevated suspended solids in the final discharge of treated wastewater to the Waikato River at Meremere,” she said.

“We understand Waikato District Council has a plan to upgrade the plant in 2020 with ultra-filtration technology which will address the issue with suspended solids.”

With the rāhui now in place, the trust said there is to be no swimming in the river's water, harvesting or collecting kai on or from it until further notice. 

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