A banned toxic firefighting foam used at commercial airports has contaminated surface water and soil in Palmerston North.
Authorities say people should avoid gathering food such as watercress in the area and anyone who lives near the airport and who does not tap into the city water supply should be careful.
Samples were taken from land at Palmerston North Airport earlier in the year after it was confirmed foam containing banned chemicals was found in fire trucks and in storage at the airport, as well as at airports in Napier and Gisborne.
* Testing for contamination begins at commercial airports after banned firefighting foam found * Toxic foam found in fire trucks and storage at three more commercial airports * Nationwide investigation into toxic firefighting foam launched​ * Testing area for Ōhakea toxic foam contamination to be extended This type of foam, which is mostly used in training to fight fuel fires, was banned in 2006 as it contains harmful chemicals.
Palmerston North Airport chief executive David Lanham said the results from the samples tested at the airport were received last week and showed higher levels of the banned chemicals in soil and sediment samples.
The seven surface water samples all recorded levels above the interim drinking water guidelines.
Firefighting foam containing the toxic chemicals was used at the airport for fire training purposes up until the late 1980s.
"With technical support and local knowledge about bores and groundwater from Horizons Regional Council, [we] engaged a contractor to test airport sites earlier this year."
Palmerston North City Council chief executive Heather Shotter said the affected waterways were not used for water takes and all drinking water bores on the city supply were tested in April 2018 and given the all-clear.
​MidCentral DHB said exposure to the toxic foam would not cause acute health problems.

Kapoor’s research assessed microbial contaminants in southeast and southcentral Texas waterways following Hurricane Harvey.
His work was supported by a Rapid Response Research grant from the National Science Foundation.
"The research we conducted in the Guadalupe River after Hurricane Harvey substantiates that the large number of sewage overflows and storm-water runoff that occurred during Hurricane Harvey flooding introduced high levels of fecal bacteria into environmental waters."
After 800 wastewater treatment plants reported spills from flooding and more than two million pounds of contaminants were released into the environment, the study reports that the sewage overflows posed a risk to human and environmental health via waterborne disease outbreaks, deterioration of recreational and drinking water quality and the degradation of aquatic ecology.
The river runs from Kerr County, Texas to the San Antonio Bay in the Gulf of Mexico.
The river crested at 32 feet, around 10 feet above flood stage.
Notably, all initial water samples collected from the flooded regions of the Guadalupe River by Kapoor and his students contained E. coli and enterococci concentrations above the regulatory level for contact recreational waters.
The UTSA study suggested future studies are needed to explore relationships between human health and human-associated fecal marker levels in recreational waters impacted by sewage, treated effluents and human feces.
While Kapoor says it’s too early to tell if those beaches were impacted as a result of Hurricane Harvey, he notes that he and his students observed elevated levels of fecal bacteria at flooded sites even two to three months after Harvey.
DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00237

Now, research from UTSA Assistant Professor Vikram Kapoor in civil and environmental engineering has substantiated that the storm caused high levels of fecal contamination to be introduced into waterways draining into the Gulf of Mexico and impairing surface water quality.
Kapoor’s research assessed microbial contaminants in southeast and southcentral Texas waterways following Hurricane Harvey.
"The research we conducted in the Guadalupe River after Hurricane Harvey substantiates that the large number of sewage overflows and storm-water runoff that occurred during Hurricane Harvey flooding introduced high levels of fecal bacteria into environmental waters."
The river crested at 32 feet, around 10 feet above flood stage.
The findings of this initial study will serve as the baseline information for follow-on studies to monitor existing and emerging public health risks to residents of Texas and potential long-term environmental impacts on the water resources in the impacted regions.
While Kapoor says it’s too early to tell if those beaches were impacted as a result of Hurricane Harvey, he notes that he and his students observed elevated levels of fecal bacteria at flooded sites even two to three months after Harvey.
The UTSA environmental engineering professor is hopeful that his research on the short and long-term effects of Hurricane Harvey’s flooding will lead to the development of a predictive framework to assess wastewater contamination following severe flooding.
"The results will improve how scientists evaluate the human health impacts of contaminants mobilized and deposited by floodwaters."
### Read Kapoor’s study, "Real-Time Quantitative PCR Measurements of Fecal Indicator Bacteria and Human-Associated Source Tracking Markers in a Texas River following Hurricane Harvey."
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From Friday farmers in the whole Oost-Brabant are banned from using surface water – water from lakes and rivers – to irrigate their fields.
Everyone in the area is called on to be economical with their use of water, water board Aa en Maas announced, Omroep-Brabant reports.
This ban applies to the areas Beneden AA, Boven AA and Raam.
Surface water may still be used for the drinking water of cattle, for extinguishing fires, and if an adjustable drainage system is used.
Farmers who use groundwater, and not surface water, for irrigation can continue to irrigate their lands.
Noord-Brabant families are also called upon to be careful with their water use.
"On a hot day, 50 percent more drinking water is used than on a normal day in June.
We are well prepared for this, but everyone is called upon to use drinking water carefully", Brabant Water said.
The water company advises people to water the gardens less, postpone their car wash, and spread water use throughout the day as much as possible.
An irrigation from surface water ban already applies to farmers in Limburg and West-Brabant.

A pollution alert has been sounded after a diesel spillage entered surface water drains in Horsham.
Specialists from the Evironment Agency are currently monitoring an area near Horsham Park in case of contamination to watercourses but say there is ‘low risk’.
The Agency says it was called to deal with a spill of red diesel via an industrial estate in Horsham on Friday and urged Horsham District Council to monitor the pond in Horsham Park in case of contamination.
An Environment Agency spokesman said: “We worked closely with our professional partners in response to this incident to reduce the risk of harm to the environment.
“Thankfully there was a low risk to watercourses and groundwater as a result of the spill, but this continues to be closely monitored.
“We advised Horsham District Council to monitor Horsham Park in case the pollutant entered any of the ponds on site via surface water drains.
Weirs were raised at the park to reduce this risk.
“Members of the public are urged to report incidents of pollution to us via our 24 hour emergency hotline on 0800 807060.”

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New data from the Houston Department of Health and Human Services suggests that some areas exposed to Hurricane Harvey’s flood water recorded higher than normal amounts of E. coli just as of last week. Houston Department of Health and Human Services suggests that some areas exposed to Hurricane Harvey’s flood water recorded higher than normal amounts of E. coli just as of last week.
Surface water near Barker Reservoir and water from Brays Bayou on I-610 contained 58 times the maximum level of E.coli deemed appropriate, Lisa Montemayor, environmental investigator for the city, told Chron.com Tuesday.
"E. coli enters flood and surface waters from a number of sources including sewer back-ups, storm water runoff that carries bacteria from animal and pet waste, flooded wastewater treatment plants, and failing septic systems.
"[People] need to ensure they are disinfecting all exposed surfaces properly and are minimizing the conditions that encourage mold development, post-demolition."
The health department regularly monitors E.coli at more than 100 locations, Loren Raun, chief environment science officer for the city, told Chron.com. Raun added that E. coli counts in surface water tend to increase after rain events due to non-point source runoff and storm water infiltration into the sewage system.

From the State Water Resources Control Board: The State Water Resources Control Board is accepting written public comments for Surface Water Augmentation regulations. A public hearing to receive oral and written public comments will be held on September 7, at 9:30 A.M. at the CalEPA Headquarters in Sacramento, CA. The public comment period ends on September 12, 2017, at 12:00 P.M. (noon). Water Code section 13562 requires the State Water Board to adopt uniform water recycling criteria for surface water augmentation (SWA regulations) on or before December 31, 2016, if an Expert Panel has made a finding that the proposed criteria (regulations) would adequately protect public health. For more background information, please see the Initial Statement of Reasons (ISOR) provided below. Water Code section 13562(b) requires adoption of Surface Water Augmentation regulations to be in accordance with the requirements of the Administrative Procedures Act…

ANNOUNCEMENT: Amended Staff Report for MUN Evaluation in Ag Dominated Surface Water Bodies (Central Valley).
From the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Board: Regarding a Proposed Basin Plan Amendment to Establish a Region-wide MUN Beneficial Use Evaluation Process in Ag Dominated Water Bodies, an amended Staff Report has been posted on the project website at: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/water_issues/salinity/mun_beneficial_use/index.shtml The changes to the draft Staff Report are shown in Red.
Oral comments on this proposed Basin Plan Amendment were heard at the Central Valley Water Board meeting in Rancho Cordova, CA on 23 February 2017.
The public written comment period closed on 24 March 2017.
Staff response to comments received during the comment period will be posted on the project website noted above no later than 21 July 2017.
The Central Valley Water Board will consider adoption of this proposed Basin Plan Amendment on 10/11 August 2017 in Rancho Cordova.
Information on the Board meeting including the final agenda will be posted at: http://waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/board_info/meetings/ If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Anne Littlejohn at Anne.Littlejohn@waterboards.ca.gov or (916) 464-4840.
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Work on a project to supply surface water to businesses and residents in the upper part of York County began Wednesday with some land-clearing along Mooretown Road.
The second phase of the Lightfoot Water Extension project will extend Newport News Waterworks service about 4 miles up to Bulifants Boulevard, allowing some people in the area who currently use well water to access surface water.
The project began in 2011 with the County Administrator entering an agreement with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and Newport News Waterworks to extend water service through the county.
The first phase extended the water line from Hubbard Lane, through Colonial Williamsburg property to Waller Mill Road.
Construction on the first phase ended at the end of 2016.
Money from the county’s water utility fund will pay for the second phase of construction, budgeted to cost $1.5 million.
Extending water service to this area of the county, which currently uses ground water wells, has been part of the county’s long-term plan to ensure "adequate quantity and quality drinking water for residents and businesses in the Lightfoot corridor," according to the project summary presented to the Board of Supervisors.
County spokeswoman Gail Whittaker, said that no lanes are currently closed because of construction.
The project is expected to continue until February 2018.
Reyes can be reached by phone at 757-247-4692.

Work on a project to supply surface water to businesses and residents in the upper part of York County began Wednesday with some land-clearing along Mooretown Road.
The second phase of the Lightfoot Water Extension project will extend Newport News Waterworks service about 4 miles up to Bulifants Boulevard, allowing some people in the area who currently use well water to access surface water.
The project began in 2011 with the County Administrator entering an agreement with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and Newport News Waterworks to extend water service through the county.
The first phase extended the water line from Hubbard Lane, through Colonial Williamsburg property to Waller Mill Road.
Construction on the first phase ended at the end of 2016.
Money from the county’s water utility fund will pay for the second phase of construction, budgeted to cost $1.5 million.
Extending water service to this area of the county, which currently uses ground water wells, has been part of the county’s long-term plan to ensure "adequate quantity and quality drinking water for residents and businesses in the Lightfoot corridor," according to the project summary presented to the Board of Supervisors.
County spokeswoman Gail Whittaker, said that no lanes are currently closed because of construction.
The project is expected to continue until February 2018.
Reyes can be reached by phone at 757-247-4692.