Bay of Plenty braced for possible floods

People in the eastern Bay of Plenty are bracing themselves for further rain and possible flooding as the local council works to fix a damaged sewer pipe.

More than 100 water-damaged houses still stand empty and unfit to live in after floods swept through them last week.

Whakatane District Council contractors are working to repair the damaged pipe under Maraetotara Stream in Ohope.

Council utilities manager Santha Agas said the pipe was probably damaged during flooding last Tuesday.

But the council moved quickly to stop any further spills as soon as it was discovered yesterday.

"We plugged the damaged section of the sewer pipe, blocking it from use and this stopped any further spills. We have a suction tank at a manhole to provide a sewage disposal service for the affected homes," he said.

He said the council hoped to have it repaired on Tuesday.

In the meantime the council is urging residents and visitors not to swim in the beach around the Maraetotara stream.

Water samples are being collected for testing for potential health risks and concerns.

But the damaged pipe is only one of many concerns for residents of Whakatane and Ohope, where many houses have been badly damaged by the floods, and would need extensive restoration before the occupants could move back in.

Many of the houses were also uninsured, Diane Turner of the Whakatane District Council said.

Council workers had been clearing stormwater drains and guttering to make sure they were as prepared as they could be for more rain, which has continued to fall over the weekend.

Ms Turner said a large trough of low pressure was expected to bring bursts of heavy rain to many places and the council was advising people to be prepared and keep well informed on weather forecasts and conditions in their area.

"The Civil Defence emergency information 'Get Ready Get Through' on the back inside cover of the phone book was a good source of information and information was also available on the council's website," she said.

She said many people were struggling to deal with being forced out of their homes.

"For a lot of people it is absolutely devastating and they are coming to grips with the issues they are facing."

She said it was particularly tough for those who were not insured and a local fund had been started to help the them with restoration work.

Ms Turner said if people were in a life-threatening situation, if their houses were flooded of if they needed to be evacuated, they should dial 111.

- NZPA