Sewer repairs cause a stink in Dannervirke's High St

Tararua Alliance staff begin emergency work on the wastewater system along Dannevirke's High St on Wednesday morning.

"Poo it pongs" was one Dannevirke resident's reaction to remedial work being carried out on wastewater pipes on High St on Wednesday.

Tararua Alliance staff were carrying out emergency work to sewage pipes under the street, after a significant hole in the main wastewater pipe was identified. Large stones had fallen through the hole contributing to the blockages.

After a day replacing a six-metre section of the pipe and running a CCTV camera down the pipe, nothing further of major concern was discovered.

But yes, there was that "pong" as work was carried out, Tararua District Council's Mark Maxwell said.

"When you dig up a sewer pipe you are going to get a smell, but our crews used spill kits to contain the flow and the odour as much as they could, as well as spreading buckets to contain things," he said.

"The good news is that fears further lengths of pipe may have been affected appear to be unfounded."