In May 2009, effluent from the North Mara mine spilled into the Tigithe River after vandals stole PVC plastic lining from a waste water containment pond, allowing acidic waste water to seep from the pond...Barrick redirected the water and replaced approximately 40,000 square meters of pond liners over the next few months. Water quality...downstream of the spillage continues to improve. It is currently approaching normal. At the time of the spill, it was alleged that people and livestock had been exposed to the contaminated water and had fallen ill...However, an investigation into these claims was inconclusive, as no direct evidence of harm was found. The Tanzanian government suspended the water discharge permit for the North Mara mine as a result of the spill. In June 2010, Tanzania's Minister of Water and Irrigation declared that, following a range of mitigation measures adopted by the mine, the river is now free of pollution.