By CATHY ARONSON
WHANGAMATA - The sewerage plant at Whangamata faces a costly upgrade to clean up the polluted harbour.
The regional authority, Environment Waikato, wants to restrict the amount of nitrate and sewage discharging into the Waikiekie stream, which leads into the Whangamata harbour, by making the plant meet strict resource
consent conditions.
Waikiekie's water quality is below the recommended safe limit, and local people claim the polluted water has caused a rash of sickness in the past five years, including ear and throat infections.
After inaction from Environment Waikato and the Thames Coromandel District Council, which collect rates for the sewerage system, a group of locals formed the group Clean Water Whangamata and commissioned independent water-quality tests.
Clean Water spokesman Paul Shanks said tests in 1998 revealed that the water's bacteria was at least three times the recommended safe level.
But Mr Shanks said warning signs about taking shellfish did not go up until last year after the regional council's own daily water testing confirmed the water was contaminated.
He said the stricter conditions are a step in the right direction but the council should have acted faster.
"It is disgusting that we've had to prove that the water is polluted and is a health risk. The councils already knew that the discharges were too high and the water quality was low but chose to turn a blind eye."
Mr Shanks said the council had not put up signs to warn recreational users of the health risks.
Environment Waikato resource consents manager Harry Wilson said there was no proof that the water caused any illness. But the regional council has admitted the sewerage plant is struggling to cope with an increased population and until two years ago was discharging at twice its consented level.
Now the council wants tighter daily discharge restrictions and regular water monitoring to keep it open until its expected useful life ends in 2008.
Mr Wilson said if the conditions were adopted, the sewerage plant would need to change its treatment systems.
Options could include nutrient stripping, UV lights, extra holding ponds and a larger, less concentrated, discharge area.
Yesterday, the regional council voted to review the consent and will decide on new conditions after considering input from the district council and public submissions.
Consent conditions should be finalised before December, just before the district's holiday population booms from 4000 to between 25,000 and 50,000.
