QLDC sewage discharge deliberate - not accidental

Crux video and photographs taken today (November 27) confirm that the continuing discharge of effluent into the Shotover Delta Recreation Reserve is from a fixed discharge pipe installed under a fence, and is not an accidental overflow.

The pipe has been releasing a constant flow of human effluent into the reserve, and the Kawarau River, for at least the past two weeks.

Many dog walkers, tourists and cyclists were in the sewage area today - its an official recreation reserve.

Installed at ground level, under a perimeter fence, the pipe empties what appears to be a holding pond fed from the main wastewater dispersal field. 

The discharge pipe under the perimeter fence (above and main image) appears permanent and has been in place for some time

ORC abatement notices show that this location has also been recorded in December 2023, and earlier, as the continuing source of sewage from the treatment plant and contamination of the Kawarau River.

It is clear from Crux sources and ORC documents that the dispersal field has not functioned properly since being commissioned in 2018. Instead of the problems being fixed they have been covered up by a variety of stop gap measures including waste being trucked off site and a large 2 - 3 metre bank being built around the field.

The sewage discharge pipe under the fence feeds this large ponded area that in turn leads to the Kawarau River in the distance.

The dispersal field is supposed to be exposed gravel but is instead underwater. Crux has been told that the problem lies with solid human waste entering the dispersal field which is only designed to take liquid waste. This means that wastewater leaving the dispersal field has not undergone the designed treatment process that involves gravel and material filtration on the bed of the dispersal field.

ORC has only consented the ground dispersal of effluent via the dispersal field bed filters  .... not overland into the Shotover and Kawarau rivers without the necessary filtration taking place.

The QLDC has denied that effluent is entering the river .

Footage shot today (November 27) shows wastewater flowing into the Kawarau River at the same location as documented by the ORC on previous inspections. This discharge seem to be more substantial than that found in previous ORC inspections.

Crux observed a strong flow of wastewater from the dispersal field to the Kawarau River this morning at the same location as detailed in the December 2023 ORC abatement notices and further inspections in early 2024.

An image from the ORC abatement notice showing where wastewater was flowing into the Kawarau river .... that same location today showed an increased flow of wastewater.

Both ORC and QLDC say they are waiting for lab results from wastewater that is being tested from the current discharge and collected last week.

We have approached both QLDC and QLDC for comment on today's story relating to the fixed discharge pipe under the dispersal field fence.