There has been a mass sewage spill in the harbour.
There has been a mass sewage spill in the harbour.
A thousand cubic meters of raw sewage has spilled into upper Whangarei Harbour due to a broken pipe, which has prompted the council to put swimming and shellfish collecting warnings in place.
The cracked WDC sewer pipe near Rewarewa Rd was discovered by Firth Concrete employees yesterday morning, and WhangareiDistrict Council is asking the public to stay out of the water for the next five days, and avoid collecting shellfish from the area for the next 28 days.
"This pipe is one that takes sewage to the treatment plant and its support has been damaged and the pipe has cracked," said council spokeswoman Ann Midson.
"The very disappointing thing about this spill is that it comes after the severe storms of last week, during which the millions of dollars of improvement to the sewage system withstood enormous pressure and worked exactly as intended." The spill was contained yesterday morning and a piece of steel was being installed to repair the pipe.
WDC was asking the public to stay out of the upper Whangarei Harbour - from the Town Basin to Limestone Island - for the next five days, and to avoid gathering shellfish in the harbour for the next 28 days.
The council has notified Northland Regional Council, the Northland DHB and a number of other agencies, Ms Midson said.
People who have contact with sewage-contaminated water should always thoroughly wash and dry their hands with soap and water afterwards. Open cuts or sores should be kept clean and covered with waterproof sticking plasters.
If a cut develops redness, swelling or infection, seek immediate medical attention, she said.
