Wastewater flows into paddock

ILLEGAL dumping of wastewater near Nimbin is being investigated by Lismore City Council and police.

ILLEGAL dumping of wastewater near Nimbin is being investigated by Lismore City Council and police.

A man, who didn't want to be named, said he was driving along Nimbin Rd at about 8.40am on Thursday when he saw a large truck with wastewater flowing from it into a paddock near the Nimbin Rocks viewing area.

"I saw what I would imagine would be a 50,000 litre truck with liquid waste recycling written on the side of it with Queensland number plates," the man said.

"I pulled over and asked the young guy what he was doing there.

"He said he was dumping liquid waste out of the truck so he could get through the hills because he had too much weight on board.

"I asked him if he had permission to dump, then I asked him what sort of waste it was.

"He told me it was clean water.

"At that point, he turned around and turned the pumps off to stop the waste coming out of the truck."

The man said the truck driver refused to answer any further questions.

He took off in the truck.

The man said he took a sample of the waste he had seen being dumped.

"The water would have run straight into Goolmangar creek," the man said.

Lismore City Council were contacted and the man met environmental compliance officer Stuart Thomson, gave him the water sample and took him to the site of the dumping.

"Stuart got another sample at the site and said council would be investigating."

When the man went to Nimbin police station to report the dumping he said officers confirmed the truck was owned by a Queensland wastewater company.

A council spokeswoman said Mr Thomson was investigating the incident.

He will interview witnesses, the truck driver and the trucking company.

"Water samples are with Southern Cross University for analysis," the spokeswoman said. "Police have been informed."

The spokeswoman said the maximum penalty for illegally dumping waste water was $1 million.