$800,000 bill over diesel spill revealed

Makotuku Stream Photo/File

A diesel spill that left Raetihi without running water for three weeks is estimated to have cost the Ruapehu District Council about $800,000.

Ruapehu District Council chief executive Peter Till, who released the figure, said it was likely to increase further with some small ongoing cost.

The spill occurred in late September last year when a 40,000-litre diesel tank on Turoa Ski Field leaked its contents into the Makotuku Stream.

Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) and Petroleum Services (2001) are facing charges from Horizons Regional Council and WorkSafe New Zealand over the spill and will appear in the Environment Court in Ohakune on August 28. Some of the charges attract a penalty of $500,000 or the possibility of jail time.

RAL pleaded guilty to four charges in the Taihape District Court relating to the release of the contaminant, failure to maintain equipment, failure to enact a reasonable response plan and failure to notify WorkSafe New Zealand of the diesel spill.

Petroleum Services (2001), which designed and manufactured the tanks, pleaded not guilty to 16 charges, which included failing to ensure the tank and piping were fit for their purpose or inspected to a satisfactory standard.

Petroleum Services is also facing allegations of hindering or delaying inspectors following the leak and awaits sentencing indication in August.

The leak resulted in Raetihi residents being forced to rely on deliveries from water tankers before being able to draw from the Makara Stream.

Residents were able to begin using water from Makotuku Stream again on March 4 after the installation of a hydrocarbon sensor in February.

The Environment Court will convene in Ohakune on August 28.