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A dead cow in a Wairoa river. - Source: ONE News -
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A Wairoa resident is taking matters into his own hands by monitoring the pollution of his local river.
Millan Ruka has started a non-funded campaign to clean up New Zealand's rivers after years of inaction from neighbouring farmers and councils.
Ruka, a building assessor by trade, was inspired to act when he noticed a decline in eels in the Wairoa River.
"People used to live on eels in the old days," he told Close Up tonight.
"One time we could drink the water, swim in it. Can't do that now."
Issues surrounding river pollution were highlighted two years ago when the Manawatu was named one of the most polluted rivers in the western world.
Last year a 90% compliance was reported in line with the Dairying and Clean Stream Accord, which calls for fencing around farms to keep cattle off the river bank, but this is self-assessed and only applies to dairy stock.
The law states e-coli bacteria levels should be less than one for drinking and less than 200 for swimming. Close Up took samples from six different sites and all greatly exceeded the limits, with two sites showing figures that signalled septic discharge.
Ruka believes it is up to the farmers to act responsibly and he wants the regional council to force compliance.
However, a neighbouring farmer, who did not want to be named, said it's not the cattle that are the issue and trying to maintain fences is too hard.
"It's not the cows causing the trouble, it's the 50,000 hectares draining into the river.
"You can fence all you like but the impracticability of keeping fences is something horrendous."
But Ruka remains determined to make the rivers clean again and may change tactics and start naming and shaming offenders.
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