Suzanne Schofield said initially she was incredulous when husband Richard returned from one of his frequent walks alongside the river on Tuesday afternoon, reporting he had seen a truck dumping waste building materials down the riverbank behind the Balclutha Aerodrome.
He said the truck, marked with Balclutha contractor Andrew Haulage’s logo, appeared to have dumped rubble in three closely adjoining locations in the river, forming small jetties.
Mrs Schofield said her astonishment and displeasure were only magnified when she visited the dump site herself on Wednesday morning.
"I walk the dog three or four times a week along here as it’s quite a beautiful spot, and there’s a lot of varied birdlife on the gravel bank in the middle.
"Given the sensitivities around rivers nowadays, and given we don’t know what might be in the rubble, it’s shocking and entirely inappropriate to be dumping it in the river here."
The material contained breeze blocks, rebar, plasterwork, metal components and plastic piping.
Andrew Haulage’s depot is located about 100m from the dump site.
Yesterday afternoon, the firm’s director, Colin Calteaux, declined to comment on the allegations.
Mrs Schofield said she had contacted the Otago Regional Council when she returned from her walk on Wednesday, and spoken to its "pollution department".
"They seemed surprised, and quite interested. I believe they plan to inspect the site this afternoon."
An ORC spokesman said he could not comment in detail about the situation, as the council had only just been alerted.
"We received a complaint to our pollution hotline about this on Wednesday. We are looking into the issue."
However, the Otago Daily Times understands the council does not believe the dumping is a permitted activity, and could be a breach of water plan regulations.
Mrs Schofield said she had seen birds, including black-fronted and Caspian terns, pied stilts, black- and red-billed gulls, and spur-winged plovers, on the nearby gravel bank. Some of those species are listed as nationally vulnerable or endangered.
She said pollution of rivers could have serious effects on resident wildlife, and she would like to see the rubble removed.
"I assume it could be an ill-thought-out attempt to prevent bank erosion, or perhaps avoid paying for disposal at the dump, but it’s not acceptable.
"It will just continue to leach away into the river forever, unless it goes."
