Nelson council is warning residents to stay away from the Waimea Inlet for three days, after a sewage spill.

Approximated 7,000 cubic metres of highly diluted sewage spilled into the Inlet after a mechanical fault in one of the pumps at Nelson Airport wastewater pumping station last night. (Sunday)

The pump was fixed around 9am today.

The spillage has caused the council to issue a swimming and shellfish ban on the Inlet.

Council said heavy rain meant a large amount of the spillage was stormwater runoff.

The council is advising residents to not eat anything from the water, or swim in the Waimea Inlet of Nelson Haven until Thursday.

The Nelson Marlborough District Health Board, Public Health Service, Ministry of Fisheries, Department of Conversation, pollution control officials and local iwi have been notified of the spill.

– APNZ