Monitoring of Tutaenui Stream completed

Monitoring of the Tutaenui Stream has been completed and the results are expected to be released in October.

The stream runs through Marton and receives discharge from the Marton wastewater treatment plant, before making its way to the Rangitikei River.

But the discharge from the Rangitikei District Council operated plant has been breaching its consent for a decade, and earlier this year RDC was called to a Horizons meeting to explain how it would bring the plant up to standard.

The plant's discharge was breaching ammonia limits and it was deemed to be having an adverse effect on aquatic life in the stream.

Horizons Regional Council consents team leader Pita Kinaston said a site visit of the Marton wastewater treatment plant was done three weeks ago as part of the most recent compliance report.

While that is yet to be written, he said the plant discharge had met visual and odour consent conditions.

But assessment of aquatic life chemicals in the stream had not been done because Horizons was waiting for the data from Rangitikei District Council. Its stream testing had been done on July 31 and Mr Kinaston said a full assessment of the consent would be done once results had been received. "This assessment will review the macroinvertebrate report and available water chemistry results."