Please be informed that there has been a discharge of treated wastewater from the New Plymouth Wastewater Treatment Plant via the marine outfall offshore from the Waiwhakaiho River that has the potential to affect public health.
The discharge occurred on Sunday 23 June 2024 at 0730 hours. The cause of the discharge was due to intense rainfall which resulted in the wastewater inflow being above the capacity of the biological treatment plant on site. Therefore, there was a temporary bypass of the biological treatment process, where the wastewater continued to be screened and disinfected before being discharged via the marine outfall.
As a precaution warning signs to do not swim will be in place for 48 hours at the following locations:
- East and west of the Waiwhakaiho River Mouth,
- Bell Block Beach,
- Fitzroy Beach, and
- East End Beach.
If you have any further questions, please direct them to enquiries@npdc.govt.nz