Bay of Plenty Regional Council has lifted an advisory notice warning residents in the Harbour Road area of Ōhope not to drink from bores.

The regional council reported yesterday that a site visit to a property at the end of last year where a pit latrine had been dug had confirmed that the long drop toilet had been filled in and had not been in use for some time.

On November 1, the council had advised residents to avoid drinking from bores, using it for watering food gardens or for home recreational activities such as paddling pools and kids’ sprinklers after it was confirmed that there was an unauthorised wastewater discharge on a property.

Groundwater testing was carried out on neighbouring properties over the next four weeks but showed no sign of contamination.

The council announced yesterday that, based on the fact that the toilet was no longer in use, its science team has assessed the risk of groundwater contamination for nearby bore owners as low.

“As a result, we will be lifting the advisory notice and informing bore users that they may resume using their bores for all activities,” a spokesperson for the council said.

“We would like to thank the landowner for their cooperation throughout this process, and the Ōhope community for their patience while our assessments were completed.”

Anyone who sees or experiences environmental pollution in their neighbourhood can report it via the regional council’s 24/7 Pollution Hotline on 0800 884 883.