WAINUIOMATA River contamination will be the subject of a public meeting being planned by Wainuiomata Councillor Campbell Barry.
The river (above) has once again exceeded the guidelines for the amount of E. coli in the water to allow for safe swimming.
Warning signs have been in place since the beginning of March.
The senior environmental scientist at Greater Wellington regional council, Summer Greenfield, said the regional council and the Hutt City Council are working together to find the source of the contamination.
E-COLI SPIKE: Results from the river last year. Image: Greater Wellington
“We are looking into it now. We’re taking samples from a stream 10 to 15 metres upstream from Richard Prouse Park. Preliminary results indicate both human and ruminant markers, so sheep and horses.”
“We’re also doing faecal source tracking. We’re testing the bacteria for DNA markers, human or animal that drains from Moores Valley. [That stream] is the most likely source of the E. coli.
Mrs Greenfield said the regional council will need to find out where the contamination is coming from before they can take and action against it.
Mr Barry said he was disappointed the contamination keeps happening.
“The river is one of the best assets of the community and it draws people to the area, but this is keeping them away.
“The big effect is that the perception is that the river is unsafe, and that even after it is announced to be safe, people still don’t want to go around there.
“My nephew went down to the river the other day, and he had seen one of the warning signs, so he refused to put his mouth in the water in case he got sick.”
