Source: Radio New Zealand
Wellington’s Moa Point wastewater treatment plant has been shut down and staff evacuated from the site, after an equipment failure flooded multiple floors. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Some locals have described a Wellington sewage plant shutdown as gross, sad and unacceptable.
An average of around 70 million litres of untreated wastewater had been pouring into the capital’s South Coast since Wednesday morning.
The Moa Point plant’s lower floors had been completely flooded when sewage backed up in the 1.8km outfall pipe, which normally sent treated wastewater into the Cook Strait.
Wellington Water chief executive Pat Dougherty said it was critical the company understood why the pipe failed.
RNZ went out to Wellington’s South Coast on Wednesday evening.
Lyall Bay on a bright summer evening would normally have been humming with surfers out in the waves and locals on their post-work walks.
But instead, the area was deserted – the only people there were Wellington Water staff members in large fluro coats warning people about the sewage.
RNZ spoke to locals from the safety of concrete paths and carparks.
Angus was planning to go down to the water for a surf, but decided against it after looking at the water.
“I didn’t want to go there because it looked like I don’t know… toilet paper or jellyfish, so I was like I don’t really want to go in on either of those.”
Stacey said she came down to the beach to enjoy the view and that the plant breakdown was “pretty shocking” and “pretty gross”.
She held concerns about how Wellington Water managed the pipes and plants.
“Where I live Ngaio there’s water out quite a lot, so this is just sort of on top of ongoing issues that they seem to have with the infrastructure.”
Kristina said the news was horrible.
“Really unacceptable, this is a beach where you might see a lot of surfers and they are all in the water all year around,” she said.
“I think it is pretty toxic.”
Leila Martley told RNZ it was a “hugely sad” situation.
“I really feel for Wellington Water.”
She also felt for Tiaki Wai – the new organisation set to take over Wellington, the Hutt Valley and Porirua’s water operations.
“It is just an awful thing to set off with.”
Further to the east of the coast at Tarakena Bay Alishba said she was about to go swimming but was warned by a local not to get in the water.
“It is pretty gross; I don’t know how that would happen though.”
A Rahui was in place throughout the South Coast, with people told not to gather food and to keep themselves and their dogs out of the water.
Wellington Water said it was taking water samples from a wide area and was expected to provide an update later on Thursday.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
