LAWRENCE GULLERY
Health and local body authorities met this morning to decide whether to lift a health warning after sewage leaked into a Hastings drain yesterday.
The leak sparked concern and a warning from the Hawke's Bay District Health Board yesterday for people not to gather food or swim in the area
of the Kaiapo Drain, Southland Drain, Irongate Stream, Karamu Stream and Clive River.
Hastings District Council's water services manager Brett Chapman said the problem occurred when a section of the sewerage network had to be diverted while pipe repair work was under way on Omahu Road.
"We had to bypass these flows into a different part of the sewer so they didn't interfere with the work," he said.
Mr Chapman said the sewer water was diverted along the Huia Street pipeline where an overflow valve leaked water into the nearby Southland drain.
A phone call from the public alerted the Hawke's Bay Regional Council to the problem. The Regional council in turn notified the Hastings council.
Mr Chapman said Hastings council staff were able to isolate the leak and remove the water using "sucker trucks" before the spill went any further.
The regional council has done water-sampling in and around the areas.
It was due to report this morning whether any of the spillage had reached other waterways in the drain and river network.
The regional council had warned against swimming, food-gathering or collecting shellfish in theses areas yesterday. Medical Officer of Health Caroline McElnay, yesterday said that until sampling showed levels of contamination had dropped to safe recreational swimming limits, people should avoid recreational water activities around the areas.
Swimming in or consuming food from sewage-contaminated water posed a risk of infections of the stomach, skin, eyes and ears, Dr McElnay said.
Warning signs are being put up around the area.
