Blocked sewer pipe causes a big stink

By WAYNE THOMPSON

Entertainers Sonia and Les Andrews have raised thousands of dollars through their concerts to help Auckland's young performers - but at home, it's hard to spend a penny.

In their villa in Brighton Rd, Parnell - a street of many million-dollar homes - the couple cannot flush their toilet without its contents spilling from a broken underground sewer.

They have coped for more than a year by exercising restraint and not using toilet paper, said Sonia Andrews.

"I grew up in Southland's Hokonui Hills - no electricity, no flushing toilets. But this is bad when you are paying $3000 a year in rates - the Auckland City Council and Metrowater must do something about it."

The couple dispute the council and Metrowater's contention that repairing the ruptured sewer is their responsibility as property-owners.

The row began when the sewer blocked for the second time in a year.

A drainlayer was called in to push a television camera through the pipe to look for the cause.

The camera found no blockage in the sewer running from the Andrews' home to their street boundary, but an obstruction was found where the pipe ran under the footpath to connect with the main sewer.

Metrowater maintenance head Xeno Captain advised the Andrews that the property-owner's responsibility lay up to and including the connections with the public drain.

"The public drain to which your private drain connects is in the carriageway in Brighton Rd."

The couple said that, as pensioners, they could not afford the repair. They had spent nearly $2000 just trying to clear the drain and find what was wrong.

Sonia Andrews said home-owners should not be responsible for damage to sewer connections outside their properties.

Heavy trucks had used their street entrance to park and turn during years of intensive housing development in the area.

But both the council and Metrowater said yesterday that the standards for constructing drains under footpaths should prevent damage by trucks.

Sonia Andrews said her case was strengthened this week when an inspection hole was dug above the broken sewer connection.

An old iron pipe running along the footpath had been laid over the ceramic pipes connecting to the house, cracking them at that spot.

Ground movement had caused clay to fall into the break and block the ceramic pipes, she said.

Council utilities co-ordination manager Barry Williams said the council had arranged for utility companies to try to identify the iron pipe this morning.

If the pipe had damaged the house connection the council would help the Andrews recover the cost of repairs.