New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) has apologised over the accidental discharge of partially chlorinated water into the Tasman Sea.
In a statement, the Council said a small amount of treated wastewater failed to receive the full dose of required chlorine at the New Plymouth Wastewater Treatment Plant on Friday morning before it was discharged to sea via the marine outfall.
“The fault was between 9.53am and 10.43am [Friday] and the cause is being investigated. The chlorine treatment is now working properly,” Council said in a statement.
Permanent warning signs at east and west of the Waiwhakaiho River Mouth and at Bell Block Beach were changed to ‘Do not swim’ for 48 hours by NPDC.
“We’re sorry this has occurred and we’ve been in touch with iwi and hapū, Taranaki Regional Council, the local health authority and other recreational users,” the Council said.
