STREAM POLLUTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 April 1938, Page 6

STREAM POLLUTION

ACCIDENTAL OCCURRENCE. STATEMENT BY THE BOROUGH INSPECTOR. The following statement on the subject of the pollution of a stream near the gasworks and the consequent killing of trout was made yesterday by the Masterton Borough Sanitary Inspector (Mr T. A. Russell): — “Mr Douglas (gasworks manager) and myself regret the. unfortunate happening of last week and think that an explanation is warranted. Whilst our gasworks are in some respects not well placed, being between two branches of the stream, no direct pollution is entering the stream. About the time of Mr Douglas’s arrival here I received a complaint concerning an oily film on the stream. Investigation proved that very small quantities of oil reached the stream through a steam pipe. A fitter was installed and no further complaint has been received. The occurrence of last week was purely accidental and is not likely to happen again. Workmen were trenching in the vicinity of the ammonia liquor well and the trench filled overnight with ground water into which a certain amount of ammonia water had leaked through a defective plug (which has since been rectified). When this water was pumped out a good deal of it found its way into the stream and was the cause of the trouble. The first intimation we had that anything unusual had happened was a ring from a resident stating that the fish were dying.”