Anger as pipes overflow again

Susan Walsh indicates how high the storm water, mixed with sewage, reached on her house. Photo / Duncan Brown

When Hastings woman Susan Walsh was growing up, her house was never a comfortable place to be when heavy rain came.

When the rains arrived last week and filled the streets and drains throughout Hastings and the entire region, the same problems emerged again - as they have for 40 years.

What also emerged was an unpleasant smell - that of sewage emerging as the pipes and pumps failed to cope.

The Lumsden Rd property is her mother's house and she said years of trying to get something done about the overflowing problem had come to nothing.

She said roadworks carried out about two years ago, which also included piping work, had not helped.

"It still happens when we get heavy rain - every time."

Sewage and floodwater pooled under the house and the rising waters meant the toilet could not be used.

At the height of the recent flooding, she called the Hastings District Council and demanded something be done. Council staff she spoke to conceded there was an issue and arranged delivery of a portable toilet.

"The guy who delivered it said we were the third ones that day."

Ms Walsh said her mum had been putting up with it "for years".

"She pays her rates and they know of her plight - they are aware of it but we are still waiting for something to be done."

She thought at the time the pipes were being installed a couple of years ago they looked too small.

Hastings District Council reticulation engineer Tony Dench said the pipes were adequate and the huge amount of rain which fell was simply too much for the present system.

"It is far from ideal and we do not want it to happen," he said.

"It has happened before but we are working to improve the systems - we are making improvements all the time."

Mr Dench said flow checks had been carried out over the past year so that engineers could work out where the "problem points" were.

From that, a model would be created and a plan to address the problem developed.

There had been three overflow points reported during the rain storm.

Mr Dench said they had the Lumsden Rd address logged in and would respond quickly to any problems.

He said he was unable to put a time frame on when the situation would be resolved.

Ms Walsh said she had heard that before.

"It could be any time - a month or 10 years - and in the meantime when we get a couple of days heavy rain everything blocks up again."