More than 20 dairy farms are facing prosecution for effluent offences as the Otago Regional Council nears the end of its 2008 season inspections.
By Christmas, all but 15 of the region's dairy farms had been inspected. The remaining farms, in North Otago, would be inspected this month.
In a report to the compliance committee, compliance manager Martin King said the inspections had resulted in 21 recommendations for prosecution, four infringement notices served and 22 minor warning letters sent out.
The prosecutions related to serious ponding on pasture, irrigation on saturated soils resulting in runoff into natural water and effluent discharges directly into natural waterways from failed irrigation and pond systems.
The infringements related to minor ponding of effluent with little or no environmental effect.
Last year, 24 dairy farmers were prosecuted by the regional council with the majority of cases resulting in relatively minor fines, of between $2000 and $37,000.
