500,000 litres of whey spill into Waikato stream

About 500,000 litres of whey spilled into a Waikato River tributary early this morning, prompting an environmental alert.

Waikato Regional Council representatives have been managing the spill at Civil Whey Distributors southeast of Hamilton after being alerted at about 2.30am.

The council's resource use manager Chris McLay said it appeared the dairy product got into the stream after a holding tank ruptured.

He said the spillage had been stopped and was being contained with buns, but the 10km long tributary lead into the Waikato River and whey would eventually flow into it.

The product was not toxic, but would cause problems with treatment processes if it got into water systems, and being high in lactose and sugars it would take oxygen out of the water, affecting aquatic life.

Mr McLay said staff would continue monitoring the spill and its effects throughout the day.

- NZPA