Enterococci research may lead country

 Research being undertaken as part of the city wastewater project could aid the move away from using enterococci as a suitable indicator organism for water pollution.

Gisborne District Council wastewater project manager Peter McConnell told the wastewater management committee this week that molecular biologist John Mackay of Gisborne’s Linnaeus laboratories was proposing to use DNA testing techniques to show whether enterococci found in industry wastewater was of human, animal or plant origin.

Mr Mackay is assisting the industry sub group, part of the Technical Advisory Group set up under the conditions of the wastewater consent.

Mr McConnell said that the industry group is trying to prove that the enterococci found in industrial wastewater are a different strain from enterococci found in human sewage and hence may be less of a public health risk.

“If this can be proven, then it may save industry having to install disinfection equipment for treating their industrial wastewater. The standard enterococci test used to date only indicates the presence of enterococci, it cannot differentiate between the different strains.

“John Mackay’s work could prove quite a breakthrough in how we measure enterococci. It is not widely used in New Zealand at the present time.

“Enterococci is like dust. Like a lot of bacteria, it is widespread. A coastal study in Auckland even found it in sand and seaweed.”

Ministry of Health guidelines and requirements are still based on entercocci despite the fact that this is being questioned in American scientific circles.

Mr McConnell briefed the committee on progress to date on the wastewater project in general. The underground sheet piling was virtually finished on the Banks Street site and the rock piling was half way through.

“Within two months, we should see foundation work happening on the main building and it will look like a construction site.”