Shock, horror! Humans pollute water

Horizons Regional Council is being applauded by Federated Farmers for admitting human waste is having a major impact on water quality.

“Admitting humans have almost an equal impact on water quality is something of a first for a regional council,” says Gordon McKellar, Federated Farmers Manawatu/Rangitikei president.

“The default option for almost every negative report on water quality has been, ‘blame farming’. Horizons is showing a welcome and fresh honesty.

“Urban residents need to realise there is no such thing as ‘flush and forget’, as everyone has a direct stake in improving water quality.

“We applaud the positive messages Horizons is sending to farmers about recycling nutrients on-land. Federated Farmers is keen to discuss with Horizons, the 50-year timeframe it seeks to resolve human impacts on water.

“There’s no way farmers expect or get a 50-year ‘free pass’, so farmers expect Horizons to show the same vigour with the councils as with farmers. That includes prosecuting councils for direct discharges to water.

“Old equipment, accidents or adverse events are not accepted with agriculture, so why should they be accepted with councils? Prosecutions do change behaviour.

“The report has resonance for other councils too. Faecal (E.coli) counts don’t differentiate human from animal so with the past blind eye turned to human impacts, has our sector’s impact on water quality been unbalanced?

“Andrew Hoggard will drink from the Oroua River at his farm but won’t touch the stuff after it passes Feilding. After the Oroua enters the Manawatu, Palmerston North’s human and industrial waste further compounds water quality.

“Take Lake Horowhenua. It’s still blighted by Levin’s sewerage discharges, despite it being decades since sewerage inflows stopped. Given the number of farms on the Rangitikei River, water quality drops when the river passes Taihape, Hunterville, Marton, Halcombe and Sanson.

“A similar pattern occurs on the Whanganui River, which only degrades around Taumarunui. Meanwhile, tourism needs to be aware of its impacts with sewage discharges from the alpine resort, Ohakune, impacting the Mangawhero River.

“Town and country need to work together and not against one another. At long last there’s recognition that it’s no longer acceptable to turn a blind eye to human impacts and farmers look forward to working with Horizons and the councils on positive and equitable solutions,” Mr McKellar concluded.