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Workers & volunteers cop a shyte can bucketing fighting fires for the community. Being buried in crap seems a occupational hazard these days. Most of it coming from above. Big sewage dump puts out fireys A RURAL Fire Service investigation is under way after untreated water from a sewage plant was dumped on volunteer firefighters battling a blaze on the mid-north coast. Up to 50 firefighters and four aircraft were working on the 30ha bushfire at Kew, near Port Macquarie, on Tuesday when a helicopter mistakenly drew up the wastewater from the wrong pond at the nearby sewage treatment plant and dropped it on them. More than half the firefighters had to be decontaminated, along with their equipment, and were treated by paramedics at the scene. None reported any adverse symptoms from the incident. An RFS spokeswoman said 12 firefighters had been directly exposed to the "secondary treatment" water, while a further seven were in the general area. "All 29 firefighters on the fireground and their equipment were immediately withdrawn and decontaminated by Fire and Rescue NSW," the spokeswoman said. "As a precaution, each firefighter has since been provided with further medical follow-up. At this time, no firefighters have complained of any ill-effects. They will continue to be monitored by the Rural Fire Service."