People claim to want clean, swimmable water, but if that was the case, why did they continue to pollute the region's waterways with dead animals and rubbish, Otago Regional Cr Stephen Woodhead has asked.
He was commenting on a report on freshwater incidents presented to the Otago Regional Council's compliance committee last week.
It detailed seven incidents where people had deliberately polluted waterways, including three where dead animals had been found in rivers and creeks.
Two couches had been dumped in Lindsay Creek, a dead dog had been left in Sunnyvale Creek and a dead calf was found in the Taieri River.
Domestic rubbish and car upholstery was left on the banks of the Silverstream.
Cr Woodhead said people wanted clean, swimmable water but then they dumped things in waterways.
"I find it disgusting and extremely disappointing."
In each case, the dead animals or rubbish could have been easily dealt with at low cost so there was "no excuse" to dump it in waterways.
Cr Bryan Scott said he had also been "blown away" by the incidents, especially the dead animals.
However, Cr Deaker said given the regional council had 180,000 ratepayers, the report showed they were a "pretty clean lot".
Overall, 27 freshwater incidents were reported to the council in the eight weeks to February 5.
Other incidents related to sediment and stormwater discharges and dairy effluent ponding.
