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John Belsham/Supplied
A Mission Bay resident woke to find the normally crystal clear water, was chalk white – and running into the ocean
A Mission Bay resident has woken up to find the stream running through his backyard, and into the ocean, completely chalk white.
Resident John Belsham said the stream is normally completely clear, but for several hours on Tuesday morning it was fully white, after being polluted by an unknown substance.
There was no odour, or film in the water, Belsham said, so he suspects someone had dumped large amounts of paint upstream.
The main point of concern was that the stream runs through their property and straight into the sea, he said.
The contamination was noticed around 7.20am and was still showing in the water four hours later.
Belsham sent a report of the incident to Auckland Council and someone showed up to test the river and look upstream for any signs of who might have polluted it – and what the substance might be.
Do you know what the contaminant is? Email aucklandnewsroom@stuff.co.nz
AC Acting Compliance Manager David Pawson said an officer attended the site yesterday and spoke with multiple residents and contractors who were working near the stream.
“We were unable to identify the specific property the contaminant had come from so no enforcement action has been taken.”
Supplied
Reuben Smillie filmed discharge from Lake Opuha into the Kakahu River in March 2022. The Smillies and their neighbours say the river has been killed by polluted water from Lake Opuha since the irrigation scheme was consented.
By the time the officer had arrived, the discharge had stopped and the waterway was running clear, Pawson said.
It’s every citizens’ responsibility to ensure that we manage our waterways, Belsham said.
“People interact with this waterway – it’s just not right.”
Belsham said he took a sample of the water himself, so that there was a record of the pollution.
This is a Public Interest Journalism funded role through NZ On Air
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