Lake Kaniere Septic Tanks Under Scrutiny As Subdivision Grows
The deep, glacial lake south of Hokitika is the source of the town's water supply.
The prospect of contamination from septic tanks was raised earlier this year by the council's Management chair Brett Cummings.
And iwi rep Jackie Douglas (Ngati Maahaki; Makaawhio) asked if the council had any reports on Kaniere, given growing development in the area.
Council staff who monitor the lake for invasive weeds and for E. coli in the swimming season have reported bacteria levels rising sometimes after heavy rain.
But a recent survey carried out at the councillors' request has shown Lake Kaniere is in good health, Environmental Science manager Shanti Morgan told the July meeting of the council's Resource Management committee.
'We identified some areas where we want to do some more intensive sample monitoring to track the influence of increased development around certain parts of the lake. We can provide that to you in the quarterly update. '
Ms Douglas said she had gone out on Lake Kaniere with council staff when they sampled the water at key points and was happy with the results.
'We had a really good look at Hans Bay and Sunny Bight…the science team is able to follow up to ensure we don't see problems in the future or they can be easily identified.'
Buller councillor Chris Coll said he was fascinated to hear that the water quality was unaffected.
'What happens if it starts to change? With the town water supply coming from there, if E.coli started showing up, how would you reverse it? ' he asked.
Cr Cummings said that had been a problem at Punakaiki when run-off from an old septic tank was putting E. coli into the lagoon.
'They traced it back and found out what was going on – it's important to monitor, though Lake Kaniere is a whole lot bigger than Punakaiki lagoon,' he said.
Ms Morgan said the council's compliance team could check out any issues with septic tanks but the Westland District Council was also monitoring the water independently, under the (national ) drinking water guidelines.
Westland mayor Helen Lash told LDR the council was very much aware of the new subdivision activity in the hills around Lake Kaniere and was considering the potential risks.
'It's causing a bit of angst; more sections are appearing and it has been brought to our notice. Once you have an issue, how do you clean it up? '
The council might have to bring in additional testing, to be sure the water quality was beyond reproach, Mrs Lash said.
'All our water supplies are chlorinated, so there is a safeguard there, but we need to keep a close eye out for possible incremental effects and be sure the new septic systems are all top quality. Though it's more likely any problems would stem from the old ones. '
The Regional Council monitors West Coast lakes along with DOC and Manawa Energy, as part of its obligations under the National Policy Statement on freshwater, using submerged plant life as a health indicator.
The surveillance programme detects invasive aquatic weeds but the report tabled this month shows mainly native vegetation in Lake Kaniere, with no signs of deterioration in its ecology.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Invasive worm species found under Bluff wharf
A Mediterranean fanworm. Photo: Supplied / Environment Southland An invasive species of aquatic worm has been found in Bluff Harbour, and the Southland Regional Council is trying to determine if it has spread. The worm - believed to be a Mediterranean fanworm - was found under the town's wharf during routine surveillance earlier this month. The 59-centimetre specimen was found at a depth of five metres. The Mediterranean fanworm. Photo: Supplied / Environment Southland Environment Southland spokesperson David Adamson said an established colony could displace native species and threaten fisheries. "We're unclear if the marine pest is more widespread in Bluff waters, so we're planning further surveys to confirm its spread as a part of response planning." Adamson has asked the public to report any suspected sightings. Mediterranean fanworm is a segmented marine worm that forms dense colonies, and attaches to solid structures such as wharf pilings and aquaculture equipment. It has a long, leathery tube that is pale brown with a muddy appearance and extends a spiral fan of yellow-orange filaments to collect food. "Our goal at the moment is to establish whether it is Mediterranean fanworm and if it has spread," Adamson said. "We want the public to continue to be vigilant and report sightings, as well as ensure their gear and hulls are clean. "We also need to know if this pest is elsewhere in Southland." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
a day ago
- Scoop
Relief As Rural East Coast School Lifts Water Advisory With New Treatment System
A Te Araroa school can finally provide clean tap water to its students after a year of 'horrendous worry' because of E. coli. 'Having clear, beautiful drinking water was like going from a third-world system to the 21st century – at the turn of the tap,' Te Waha o Rerekohu Area School principal Lynn Burrell says. Te Waha o Rerekohu Area School, on the East Coast, has gone from having the most E. coli notifications in 2024 to having drinkable water thanks to an upgrade to the school's self-supply water system. It meant the remote, rural school was able to lift its long-term 'do not drink' advisory. Burrell said they still celebrated when a water test came back as 'all clear', after the stress of not having drinkable water for a year. The upgrade freed her of 'quite a horrendous worry', she said. 'At the end of the day, it's the principal that must keep everyone safe, and it weighed heavily on me. 'Every single water test that's been done since the new system has been put in has been 'all clear' – and we are still celebrating,' she said. About 19% of New Zealand schools self-supply their drinking water, with many located in rural or remote areas, according to water regulator Taumata Arowai's recently released Drinking Water Regulation Report 2024. The school had its last E. coli exceedance notification in August 2024, after receiving 11 notifications, the report said. 'It was very positive not to have to tell every single visitor 'please do not drink the water' or tell school groups, 'you must bring your own water bottles',' Burrell said of the upgrade. The Ministry of Education reimbursed the school for the costs of bottled drinking water. Since the upgrade, the caretaker and support staff were pleased not to be lugging bottled water in and out of school, as they are 'not light', said Burrell. 'And suddenly the principal can focus on teaching and learning and not have this long-term concern that visitors, students and staff would inadvertently drink the tap water.' The school, which presently educates 74 students from new entrants to Year 13, had the national water regulator Taumata Arowai visit the school twice last year. According to the authority's report released last month, the risk to drinking water quality at many self-supplied schools is extremely high, demonstrated by high incidences of water contamination. Last year, 59% of laboratory notifications of E. coli were about self-supplied schools, which affected 71 different school supplies, the report says. During the authority's visits to the school, its staff viewed the water treatment system and guided the school's caretaker, who was also the plant operator. The authority remained in 'constant contact' with the school's principal throughout 2024 and provided status updates at monthly meetings with the Ministry of Education, according to the report. 'With the support of the ministry, the school upgraded its treatment plant in late 2024. 'As a result of this upgrade, the school was able to lift its long-term 'do not drink' advisory,' the report says. The Ministry of Education's head of property, Sam Fowler, said E. coli detections were likely a result of contamination of the rainwater collected from the school roofs or through soil contamination because of leaking pipe networks. 'The school collects rainwater from various school building roofs and stores this in seven tanks of 25sq m capacity, providing a total of 175sq m of storage across the site,' he said. Fowler said the 11 notifications came from eight incidents. After each incident, the school had undertaken servicing and maintenance of its treatment system, including chlorine dosing of its storage tanks. 'Unfortunately, maintenance alone was unable to address the recurring contamination issue.' The water infrastructure upgrade included new connections between various rainwater capture storage tanks across the school, and improvements to the treatment system, including a new UV disinfection unit and residual chlorine disinfection equipment, plus treated water storage, Fowler said. A dedicated Water Services team within the ministry provides ongoing support to schools for maintenance, regular water quality testing, and compliance reporting, he said. 'This work is part of a broader programme aimed at upgrading all schools that do not currently meet national drinking water standards, with priority given to those with the most urgent needs.'
Scoop
6 days ago
- Scoop
Lake Kaniere Septic Tanks Under Scrutiny As Subdivision Grows
West Coast Regional Councillors and iwi uneasy about water quality in Lake Kaniere are relieved it has so far shown no sign of pollution from increasing subdivision nearby. The deep, glacial lake south of Hokitika is the source of the town's water supply. The prospect of contamination from septic tanks was raised earlier this year by the council's Management chair Brett Cummings. And iwi rep Jackie Douglas (Ngati Maahaki; Makaawhio) asked if the council had any reports on Kaniere, given growing development in the area. Council staff who monitor the lake for invasive weeds and for E. coli in the swimming season have reported bacteria levels rising sometimes after heavy rain. But a recent survey carried out at the councillors' request has shown Lake Kaniere is in good health, Environmental Science manager Shanti Morgan told the July meeting of the council's Resource Management committee. 'We identified some areas where we want to do some more intensive sample monitoring to track the influence of increased development around certain parts of the lake. We can provide that to you in the quarterly update. ' Ms Douglas said she had gone out on Lake Kaniere with council staff when they sampled the water at key points and was happy with the results. 'We had a really good look at Hans Bay and Sunny Bight…the science team is able to follow up to ensure we don't see problems in the future or they can be easily identified.' Buller councillor Chris Coll said he was fascinated to hear that the water quality was unaffected. 'What happens if it starts to change? With the town water supply coming from there, if started showing up, how would you reverse it? ' he asked. Cr Cummings said that had been a problem at Punakaiki when run-off from an old septic tank was putting E. coli into the lagoon. 'They traced it back and found out what was going on – it's important to monitor, though Lake Kaniere is a whole lot bigger than Punakaiki lagoon,' he said. Ms Morgan said the council's compliance team could check out any issues with septic tanks but the Westland District Council was also monitoring the water independently, under the (national ) drinking water guidelines. Westland mayor Helen Lash told LDR the council was very much aware of the new subdivision activity in the hills around Lake Kaniere and was considering the potential risks. 'It's causing a bit of angst; more sections are appearing and it has been brought to our notice. Once you have an issue, how do you clean it up? ' The council might have to bring in additional testing, to be sure the water quality was beyond reproach, Mrs Lash said. 'All our water supplies are chlorinated, so there is a safeguard there, but we need to keep a close eye out for possible incremental effects and be sure the new septic systems are all top quality. Though it's more likely any problems would stem from the old ones. ' The Regional Council monitors West Coast lakes along with DOC and Manawa Energy, as part of its obligations under the National Policy Statement on freshwater, using submerged plant life as a health indicator. The surveillance programme detects invasive aquatic weeds but the report tabled this month shows mainly native vegetation in Lake Kaniere, with no signs of deterioration in its ecology.
