Health Warning remains following sewage overflow

7 March 2007

Health Warning remains following sewage overflow- Kaiapo Drain, Southland Drain, Irongate Stream, Karamu Stream and Clive River.

No swimming, food gathering or collecting of shellfish

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has been monitoring the effects of Hastings District Council’s sewage discharge into the Kaiapo drain. The latest monitoring results indicate that the discharge still poses a health risk to river users in the Kaiapo Drain, Southland Drain, Irongate Stream, Karamu Stream and Clive River catchments.

Hawke's Bay District Health Board’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr Caroline McElnay, advises that the warnings to the public to not to swim, undertake other water contact recreational activities or gather food in the area of the Kaiapo Drain, Southland Drain, Irongate Stream, Karamu Stream and Clive River, will not be lifted as reported in some media. These water bodies still pose a real risk to human health.

Dr McElnay would like to remind people that "Swimming in or consuming food from sewage contaminated water poses a risk of infections of the stomach, skin, eyes and ears,"

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s Team Leader of Compliance Bryce Lawrence said ‘that based on current flow conditions and the high levels of indicator bacteria in the upper catchment, there is likely to be significant contamination in the river for several more days’.

Hastings District Council is continuing its clean up work to remove the sewage discharged into these waterways. Warning signs have been erected around the key recreational areas affected.

ENDS

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