Dairy farm company admits discharging 80,000 litres of effluent to stream

Monday, 20 July 2020

The Tutaekuri River, a popular bathing river in Hawke’s Bay, was polluted by dairy farm effluent in December.

A Hawke’s Bay dairy farm has admitted discharging 80,000 litres of effluent into a stream.

Maxwell Farms Ltd appeared in the Environment Court at Hastings on Monday, where it pleaded guilty to a charge of discharging effluent to land where it could enter a waterway.

Maxwell Farms Ltd pleaded guilty to discharging effluent where it could enter water. The effluent entered the Tutaekuri.

The effluent entered the Mangatutu Stream, a tributary of the Tutaekuri River, on December 23 last year.

It resulted in Hawke's Bay District Health Board issuing a no-swim warning for the popular bathing river for several days.

Hawke's Bay Regional Council investigated and charged the company in April.

The guilty plea was made before Judge Melinda Dickey.

The company will be called again later this month for a sentencing date to be set.