Becca McLeod (left) and Lou Jonas owners of Urban Deli Napier in lower Emerson Street with the fine dust accumulated on the street after the flood. Photo Warren Buckland
Becca McLeod (left) and Lou Jonas owners of Urban Deli Napier in lower Emerson Street with the fine dust accumulated on the street after the flood. Photo Warren Buckland
- RNZ
Contaminated silt still lies on Napier's main streets more than a week after a destructive flood, even though it's a health risk.
The dust likely contains dried sewage and health officials are warning people not to inhale it.
Parts of Emerson St, one of the city's shopping streets,are somewhat sullied by the aftermath of last Monday's horrific flood because of the silt.
Lift, a youth employment agency, has its business hub on Emerson St.
Its co-ordinator Moana Hamilton-Neville said her premises may have been one of the worst hit and they could only reopen this week.
She said after the flood her shop smelled like "wet dog but mixed with sewage water".
"It was sewage water that was in here, well that's what [the] council have said. It was just so damp. Like a million damp dogs were running around and rubbing on the carpet basically, that's how I can describe the smell."
"I mean we're airing out, there's still a bit of a smell lingering, but it's the dust on the street just keeps coming in and other businesses have also felt a similar impact, that the dust just keeps coming in, like when cars come past it comes up if a gust of wind comes it comes up. So, we're constantly just having to sweep up the front of our store as well."
Discount Specialist's Debbie Lyndon says the flood damage in her shop itself was not extensive, but the dust kept arriving, both inside and outside her shop.
"It's just all the silt left on the road that has been walked through all the shop and left dust for miles. I would like it cleaned up."
Moana Hamilton-Neville, from Lift. Photo / Tom Kitchin
Down the road at Urban Deli Uptown Foodstore, co-owner Lou Jonas said her business had been hit more by the aftermath of the flood than the flood itself.
She said the silt, especially on windy days, often forced her to shut shop early and it was a risk to her staff's health.
"We've got a staff member here who has asthma ... I have a heart condition and the dirt itself is contaminated with sewage so that's not great either."
Health warning
The region's medical officer of health, Dr Nick Jones, said the sludge deposited by the flood probably contained bugs that could be harmful if swallowed or breathed in.
He said as sludge dried out some of the germs would have died off, but it was possible some had still survived.
In a statement he said if the dust became airborne, there were two risks.
"Inhaling the dust could cause possible infections and the other risk is that any very fine dusts would be a hazard in terms of particle pollution and cause respiratory problems for some people."
Dr Jones says the dust should be kept damp until it could be cleaned up using a method that kept it moist such as wet vacuum sweeping.
"We understand Napier City Council is already working to remove the dust in a safe way as part of the clean-up,"
A council spokeswoman said a silt removal work programme was being carried out by staff and contractors.
Lower Emerson St, one of the worst spots, was due to be cleared in the next day or two.
Workers were also removing silt in other parts of Napier, for instance on Marine Parade, tomorrow.
