A Te Kauwhata dairy farmer has been convicted and fined $55,800 for illegally discharging effluent into the environment over a 19 day period.

Farmer Joe Henry MacFarlane was convicted over the illegal discharging that took place over June and July in 2013.

Waterways from the wetland of a farmer convicted of illegally discharging effluent leads to the Whangamarino Wetland (pictured). Photo: Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand

A Waikato Regional Council inspection found the farmer had been discharging effluent from his dairy shed into a wetland on his property, estimated to be about 150,000 litres, over 19 days.

The waterways from this wetland leads to the nearby Mangakura Stream and then on to the Whangamarino Wetland, which is listed as a RAMSAR site of international significance.

In her sentencing decision Hamilton District Court Judge Melanie Harland says the offending was 'certainly careless and deliberate”.

'In the sense that the pipe was knowingly placed adjacent to the wetland area.

'However, there are reckless elements to it as well, because the system itself did not provide for any contingencies.”

It was discovered the farm had virtually no storage for effluent and the usual practice was to irrigate effluent directly to land as it was being produced.

No contingencies were in place to deal with effluent in the event of inclement weather or mechanical failure.

Council investigations manager Patrick Lynch says with all the attention and profile around water quality nationally it is disappointing to find such an inadequate system.

'Even worse, to find someone who made the conscious decision to dispose of effluent into a wetland for a prolonged period.”