Hastings City Council v Simons - [1984] 2 NZLR 502

Water and water control — Pollution — Discharge of waste into natural water — City Council rubbish dump was located on land under which there was an extensive natural underground water system — Scientific tests showed a likelihood that leachate from the dump was making underground water unclean or impure — Whether leachate from rubbish dump was "waste" - Whether the World Health Organisation standards as to drinking water were a decisive test when determining whether water was unclean, noxious or impure in terms of the 1967 Act — Whether discharging waste into natural water contrary to s 34(1)(b) was an offence of strict liability for which a defence of total absence of fault was available — Water and Soil Conservation Act 1967, ss 2, 34(1)(b) and 34(3).