By ELIZABETH BINNING
Most of the chemical cocktail that entered the Waikato River after a truck fire in Hamilton appears to have travelled out to sea.
Regional and local body scientists are confident the spill, which forced authorities to close water intakes along the river, no longer poses any threat to drinking water, fish and wildlife.
Environment Waikato spokesman Chris McLay said tests had identified traces of chemicals near the mouth of the Waikato River, but there was no sign of them further upstream.
An unknown quantity of toxic chemicals spilled down stormwater drains and into the river on Monday night when a truck carrying eight tonnes of paint, pesticide and cleaning agents exploded into flames.
Waikato District Council, the Horotiu freezing works, the Te Rapa Dairy Factory and the Tuakau water treatment plant, which all draw from the river, were forced to shut off their intakes after the explosion.
Yesterday, all of those intakes had reopened except for the treatment plant, which draws 10 per cent of Auckland's drinking water supply from the river.
Environment Waikato scientist Nick Kim said more tests were done yesterday 100m, 1km and 5km downstream from the contamination site.
Environment Waikato had tested for the chemicals using a "worst-case scenario" so it was positive there were no signs of paint - the largest component in the truck's load.
Mr Kim said any chemicals that did enter the river would have been quickly diluted.
What was left was expected to pass out to sea last night.
Owen Cook, a spokesman for Watercare Services, Auckland's water supplier, said testing had found no sign of the chemicals at the time they were expected to pass the Tuakau treatment plant.
Waikato District Council tests had also failed to find any chemicals that breached drinking water standards.
The Land Transport Safety Authority and the police commercial vehicle investigation unit are still investigating the truck explosion.
Chemical danger likely over
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.