Source: Radio New Zealand
The warning covered Corsair Bay, the jetty and beach at Cass Bay, and the beach at Rāpaki Bay. RNZ / Niva Chittock
Bottles put in public toilets are being blamed for a wastewater system overflow that closed a popular Christchurch beach at the weekend.
A health warning was issued after raw sewage was detected at Corsair Bay in Lyttelton.
Christchurch City Council said the leak occurred after the septic system was blocked by items, including bottles, being put in the public toilets at Corsair Bay.
“Concurrently there was a malfunction to the outdoor shower which also discharged clean water down the pathway,” a council spokesperson said.
“The effect of any combined runoff into the bay on water quality is inconclusive. However, the Christchurch City Council contacted Environment Canterbury so appropriate water quality testing could occur, closed our facilities at Corsair Bay and are working with contractors to repair the septic system and open facilities as soon as possible.”
Council community parks manager Al Hardy said there were waste bins at the beach that people should have been using.
“The only thing that I can think is people may think that the council public facilities are more robust than their ones at home, but actually that’s not the case – if you clog your toilet at home, what does it do, it backs up on you, and the same thing has kind of occurred out here,” he said.
“The lucky thing is there’s a very small amount of waste that would’ve been overflowing it would’ve just been successive flushes if you will, once the system had backed up.”
The council would be testing water quality at Corsair Bay over the next few days.
Health New Zealand issued the warning on Saturday.
National Public Health Service public health medicine specialist Dr Imogen Evans said the warning covered Corsair Bay, the jetty and beach at Cass Bay, and the beach at Rāpaki Bay.
“Water quality at the affected site is not considered suitable for recreational uses including swimming because of the risk to health from the bacteria and other pathogens,” she said.
“Water contaminated by human matter may contain a range of disease-causing micro-organisms such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa.”
Eating fish or shellfish from these sites should also be avoided, Evans said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
