Reservoir water main ruptures

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Residents of the Wellington suburb of Whitby have been asked to conserve water after a water main ruptured this morning.

The leak, at Staithes Drive in Whitby, is at an area where two water mains run next to each other. One is a Greater Wellington Regional Council bulk main and the other is a Porirua City Council feeder main from the Ascot Park reservoir.

Chris Laidlow, Greater Wellington Regional Council's water supply general manager, said staff from both councils are working to find the location of the leak

"The bulk main, which supplies water to reservoirs at Whitby, Pukerua Bay, Plimmerton, Paremata and Ascot Park, has been isolated," he said.

Earlier it had been reported Whitby residents would have their water cut off while staff fixed the problem, however residents are still being supplied with water from the reservoir.

As at 12.30pm, the reservoirs have enough water to last about 12 hours' average use.
It is not known when the problem will be fixed.

"The pipes are at least six metres underground so it will take us some time to expose the leak and carry out the necessary repairs," Mr Laidlow said.

He said it appears repair teams will be working into the night to remedy the problem, and urged residents to conserve water until further notice.

"For example, don't leave taps running unnecessarily for example when brushing your teeth, have very short showers, avoid using the dishwasher and let those dishes stack up on the bench if you can, don't flush the toilet every single time, don't water indoor plants or your garden, and please don't do any unnecessary cleaning such as cars or windows."