The Waiareka Creek.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXIII, Issue 7397, 21 December 1898, Page 3

The Waiareka Creek.

At the County Council meeting to-day tha condition of the Waiareka Creek wa3 the subject of a discussion. Mr Williams said that several residents in and near Knfield had communicated •with him regarding the state of the Waiareka at EnfiaUl, and aa member of the Council which was alao a Board of Health he got the Clerk to communicate with Sergt. O'Grady, and the sergeant and he visited the locality, and a3 a result of that visit Sergt. O'Grady repot ted. Sergeant O'Grady reported as follows : In compliance with your request, 1 visited Enfield yesterday, and in company with Mr Joseph William 3 examined the Waiareka Creek, which we found in a very bad state, The water was quite black and had a dreadful stench arising from it. A large quantity of perch and tench were dead on the surface, and on the aide of the banks. We then visited Mr Riinforth's factory, and had little difficulty in discovering the cause of the creek's pollution. Immediately over the creek, at an elevation of about 3-5 feet, and within 15 or 16 yards of the water, are erected a number of pig styes, in which are kept 69 pig 3. These pigs are fed with milk from the "factory, which is run through a pipe from the building into a large pit in the ground close to the styes. A quantity of the milk and all the soakage from the styes runs into the creek, and I have no doubt whatever that this is the cause of the pollution of the stream. Mr Bainforth says that he takes in daily 550 gallons of milk. I informed Mr Bainforth that he must at once remove the pig-styes, and on no account allow drainage of an impure nature to get into the water from his premises. This no donbt is a matter of some importance to him, but the public should not b9 allowed to suffer for the gain of one man. We also visited two slaughter-yards. The first—Mr James* —is erected immediately on the bank of the creek, a position it should never have occupied, as the drainage from the yard is into tie creek, and I also observed the paunch of some dead animal, presumably a sheep, in the water, and there were |bloodmarka on the bank, as if some offal had recently been emptied into the water. 1 would recommend the_ removal of the yard from Its present position, as in my opinion it also tends to pollute the water in the creek. We next visited Mr Cox's yards, which a r e some distance from the creek, but on a hill immediately over it. With regard to this yard I would suggest that Mr Cox shonld dig a large pit somewhere near his yard into which the offal from the place could be emptied, as in its present condition I fell satisfied that soakage from the yard finds its way, probably to a small extent, into the creek. I cannot help saying that should warm weather continue for any lengthened period the state of the Waiareka Creek would be injurious to the health of the inhabitants in the vicinity, and I think it may be advisable to have a medical man's opinion as to the actual poisonous matter causing such a bad smell and killing so many of the fish in the creek.

The Engineer also reported that there was no doubt that the nuisance arose from the piggeries. Mr Williams said that the piggeries would have to be removed. The Chairman doubted if the Council could deal with the matter offhand. He suggested that a committee should be appointed to act with the Council's solictor. Mr Williams said that the question required to be dealt with. After discussion, Sergeant CGrady attended the meeting, and it was resolved to instruct the police to proceed against the parties under the Police Offences Act. It was resolved to send the butchers notice that, unless the nuisance complained of was abated, their slaughtering licenses would not be renewed.