POLLUTION OF OROUA RIVER

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 38, 15 February 1938, Page 3

POLLUTION OF OROUA RIVER

May Envelop Into Major Problem MANAWATU MEMBER MAKES INSPECTION The unusually hot summer and generally dry conditions have accentuated the cause for complaint respecting the portion of the Oroua river from sources o riginating in and on the outskirts of Feilding. The complaint comes from the settlers whose properties back on to the river and are situated below Feilding and right down to lvopano and they have repi esented the position to Mr. C. L. Hunter, M.P. for Manawatu, who yesterday took the opportunity of visiting the sources of alleged polution in the Feilding area. The low state of the river, plus the unusual heat, have combined to give those settlers lower down justification for real complaint as to the quality of the river water which they are obliged to rely upon for household purposes and also for livestock. Tho problem is not a new or e by any means since it been constantly before the local acclimatisation society whose officers have been particularly interested on the score of mortality among trout. The position as it stands to-day is likely to develop into a major problem because of the danger to public health. The river receives from the Feilding area water discharged from the town’s septic talk as well as from four industries, and while each of these sources is closely watched to minimise pollution the trouble persists. The four sources from which waters are discharged into the river are the Feilding freezing works, the Kawa Kawa wool scour works, the Feilding abattoir and the boiling down works. Yesterday Mr. Hunter, M.P., made an inspection of the sources of discharge into the river and was accompanied by Mr. P. P. Stevens, chairman of the local branch ol: the Wellington Acclimatisa* tion Society, Mr. T. Andrews, ranger of the society, and Mr. T. K. Hay, borough engineer. At the Feilding freezing works Mr. V. J. Sticlibury manager, showed the visitors over the plant erected to treat the waters before they are released into the river and also the new work undertaken to further deal with the water before it is .discharged finally. Beyond tho discoloured water it was shown that little if anything in the way of solids was able to get into the river from this source, although it was agreed that the system did not overcome the trouble completely. The other sources were inspected and it was apparent that very little more could be done under the existing metnods of dealing with the problem. The steps taken to obviate offensive matter from entering the river were effective to a deg -ee but the nuisance, the discoloured water, porsiste.d Mr. Hunter confessed that the matter was a big problem and one that would have to be faced sooner or later, ins opinion was that the time' was opportune from the point of view of ..*c availability of labour, to undertake a major work in order to effectively overcome all cause for complaint by the settlers lower down. There was no doubt that they were suffering on account t f the low state of the river and the Lot weather. In repl y to a question asked by a “Times” representative, Mr. Hunter said that he was investigating the position in order to make himself thoroughly acquainted with the facts. He suggested th at it would probably be a matter for the local authority to go with a view to bringing down some practical scheme for meeting the situation. La ter on he would report on the position and as far as he was concerned, should auy scheme be evolved to deal with the problem, he would be prepared to recommend a subsidy for the work. It was quite likely, he suggested, that a greater subsidy might bo forthcoming from the Government in view of the importance of the question from a public health point of view.