Manawatu river tops "West" dirty river table

The Manawatu River is one of the most polluted in the Western world, according to new research. The Manawatu tops a new pollution measurement of 300 rivers and streams across North America, Europe, Australia and NZ, research by the Cawthron Institute has found. The waterway is fouled with treated sewage, industrial waste and farm runoff reports Stuff. Under a system measuring oxygen changes in water, the Manawatu has by far the highest reading, almost twice as much as the next worst. The Manawatu measured 107. Anything over eight is considered indicative of an unhealthy river ecosystem. A measurement of 0"“4 is considered healthy. Checks internationally found the closest pollution reading to be 59, for a site on a river near Berlin, downstream from a sewage outfall. The Manawatu was affected by leaching farm nutrient and treated town sewage, Dr Young said. "Agricultural use is most of it; nitrogen runoff, mainly." Other factors were the shallowness and width of the slow-moving river, which exposed it to sunlight that encouraged algae growth. Massey University ecologist Mike Joy said the research showed the river was "a basket case". "I've been aware for some time that the river was a pretty sad case but even I was shocked at this research. It's not just farm nutrients; it's sewage, sediment and river modification issues with stopbanking." Environment Minister Nick Smith said it was well known the Manawatu River was in poor shape. In an Environment Ministry initiative this year on water quality for recreational use, it ranked 72nd out of 76 sites. "No matter what way you look at it, the Manawatu River needs cleaning up."