Mixed bacteria results mean Puarenga Stream investigation will continue
For immediate release: Monday, 15 August 2011
A number of sources of bacteria have been found in Puarenga Stream as a result of a Bay of Plenty Regional Council
investigation. Council will continue its investigation to try to track the exact sources of contamination.
The Council’s investigation into contamination of the stream follows a complaint by a member of the public. Council
staff have undertaken source tracking and additional monitoring recently to try to determine what the problem was and
where any contaminants might be coming from.
Initial results have shown the presence of faecal contamination from livestock, seagulls, waterfowl and human sources.
The existence of these in the stream is not unexpected given the land uses within the catchment.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council Group Manager, Water Management Eddie Grogan said that the complex nature of the
catchment and the wide range of activities that could be contributing to contamination make the process of investigation
time-consuming and difficult.
“We have been testing for a number of contaminants during the past two months, these results have shown that concern for
the water quality of the stream is justified and that there are a number of contributing factors which may be
influencing this outcome,” he said.
Mr Grogan said that people should continue to take heed of the health advisory from Toi Te Ora - Public Health Service.
Toi Te Ora’s advice is that the stream water quality grading is poor and is generally not suitable for swimming,
particularly for the very young and those who are currently unwell. People should avoid swimming for 48 hours after
heavy rainfall.
“The results we have received show bacterial levels are elevated in some locations along the stream including Tureporepo
and Kauaka,” Mr Grogan said.
“New techniques have been used to assess the sources of the bacteria and have shown the presence of faecal contamination
from livestock, seagulls, waterfowl and human sources. There are a range of activities in the catchment which could be
contributing bacteria including farmland, landfills, waste irrigation schemes, failing septic tanks or even recreational
forest users ‘caught short’ near the stream.”
Mr Grogan explained that this was just one part of the overall investigation into the water quality of the Puarenga
Stream.
“Bacterial contamination has been the main focus of the investigation, but we will continue to monitor for other
contaminants. The next stage in the investigation will pull all of the information gathered together in the context of
catchment activities. An examination of contaminant generation within the catchment, including that from consented
activities, will also be made,” he said.
A further report on the investigation will be finalised within the next couple of months, which Council expects will
provide initial recommendations to help improve the water quality of the stream.
Ends.