Environment

Hapū, locals stoked council held to account for sewage spill

18:14 pm on 18 September 2019

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Bell Block residents and local hapū say they are "stoked" that the New Plymouth District Council is to be prosecuted over a massive discharge of raw sewage into the Mangati Stream in January.

More than 1.5 million litres of human effluent - or the equivalent of half the volume of an Olympic-sized swimming pool - was spilled into the stream - an environmental disaster.

The council only went public with the scale of the problem after enquiries by RNZ.

RNZ Taranaki-Whanganui reporter Robin Martin has more.