A temporary enforcement policy was put in place yesterday that allows farmers to partially drain their ponds without risk of prosecution, providing they meet certain conditions.
The policy, the first since a similar period of extremely wet weather in September 2010, will remain in effect until the end of next month.
Just over 130mm of rain has fallen in Invercargill in the past month, and between 116mm and 173mm across rural Southland.
Much of that has come in the past two weeks.
Chief executive Rob Phillips said in a statement yesterday the council had taken action because it wanted to avoid ponds overflowing and effluent entering waterways.
''We are taking a pragmatic approach to managing this situation, to minimise long-term environmental effects by keeping effluent out of waterways as much as we can.''
Farmers are able to partially drain their ponds provided that: only the amount required to prevent them overflowing within the next fortnight is removed on each occasion; liquid is removed only from the top of the pond and the pond is not stirred; the liquid is applied to the driest areas of the farm, at least 20m away of flowing water; and the liquid is applied at the lightest possible rate and no more than 10mm deep.
Farmers who planned to partially drain their ponds must advise the council via its 24-hour pollution-prevention hotline (0800 76 88 45) each time they intended to reduce the level of the pond in a manner that did not comply with the conditions of their resource consent, Mr Phillips said.
Sodden Southland
Rainfall in rural Southland in past 30 days:
Balfour: 145mm
Clifden: 166mm
Dipton: 132mm
Edendale: 116mm
Mataura: 116mm
Riverton: 173mm
Te Anau: 144mm
Wallacetown: 162mm
Source: Environment Southland
