Hawke's Bay Regional Council has taken action against campers and a company for separate pollution incidents that had "an immediate impact" on the Ahuriri Estuary and surrounds.
The first incident, last month, was when a Napier City Council Security Officer witnessed a person emptying their campervan waste into a stormwater drain. The officer's quick response resulted in Napier City Council staff being able to clean up the discharge before the waste was discharged into the inner harbour. Regional Council officers investigated the incident, interviewed the individual and issued a $750 infringement fine for the discharge.
The other incident occurred late last year and involved a local company that discharged by-product and yard waste into the stormwater system. This fed to a drain that flowed into the Ahuriri Estuary. The discharge, allegedly, occurred because of an electrical fault that diverted the waste from the trade waste sewer system directly into the stormwater network. After an investigation by the Regional Council Pollution Response team, the company has been prosecuted. A date of hearing has not yet been set. The offence has a maximum penalty of $600,000 for a discharge of this type from an industrial premise.
Neither incident is believed to have had a direct effect on the recent pond closures but certainly add to the wide number of sources that contribute to the estuary's water quality.
Regional Council Compliance Manager Wayne Wright said "With the high level of public use of the Ahuriri Estuary and Pandora Pond, it's disappointing that we have incidents of this type occurring."