Screened wastewater now being discharged straight into Cook Strait

A major pipe failure has forced warnings along Wellington’s South Coast. Photo / 123RF

By RNZ

Wellington Water says screened wastewater is now being discharged straight into the Cook Strait again after days of being discharged near the shoreline on the South Coast.

On Wednesday, the Moa Pt wastewater plant’s lower floors completely flooded when sewage backed up in the 1.8km outfall pipe, which normally sends treated wastewater into the Cook Strait.

Since then, raw sewage has been spewing from a five-metre pipe directly into the southern coastline.

In a discharge notice on Friday morning, Wellington Water said screened wastewater was now discharging to the long outfall pipe again.

Mayor Andrew Little previously described the event a “catastrophic failure”, and said there must be an independent inquiry into what happened.

There were also concerns the leak could contaminate a nearby marine reserve and put several species at risk.

Wellington Water strongly advised the public to stay away from South Coast beaches, and not to collect kaimoana in the area.

-RNZ