Homes in Clive were left flooded this morning after water was sent back up an overflow pipe.
Civil Defence and emergency management staff swung into action _ the problem could have been caused by a combined high tide and blocked river mouth.
An easterly high tide had caused the Clive River to rise early today, sending water back up a pipe which would normally carry water away from the low-lying area into the river.
People driving along Clive's Main Rd, north of the Clive River bridge, could have caught a glimpse of the properties surrounded by ankle-deep water.
Hawke's Bay Regional Council staff were trying to re-open a wider section of the Clive River mouth this morning, lowering the water level and giving them a chance to see why the pipe had blocked.
Regional council's asset management team leader Mike Adye said the river mouth had started to close during the recent heavy seas. ``The problem is we can't open it until there is a significant difference in the water level between the sea and the river.
``We have diggers there right now going through the process to open it. Low tide is at 11.30am. We hope a new mouth is formed on this tide, if not we will be working on it for the next tide.''
Mr Adye said sandbags were being put around the pipe to stop more water from the river heading towards the properties.
He said staff would have a better idea of what had blocked the pipe or caused it to flood once the river water level went down.
Blocked pipe floods Clive homes
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