Wellington water crisis: Critical week as residents’ patience wears thin - Georgina Campbell

A message for Wellington City Council near a water leak on Ngaio Gorge Road, February 7, 2024. Photo / Mark Mitchell

OPINION

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The next week will be make or break for our capital city as it struggles to deal with a severe water shortage and desperately tries to avoid a state of emergency.

Patience is wearing thin among residents who have rightfully scoffed at the request of city officials to conserve water while 44 per cent of their drinking water is leaking out of old pipes in dire need of investment.

One resident has taken matters into their own hands and put up two handmade signs next to a leak on Ngaio Gorge which say: “Fix the leak. Not Town Hall” (it could cost as much as $329 million to earthquake strengthen and refurbish the Town Hall).

Wellington City Council has scrambled to respond to the public outcry to fix the pipes with a proposal to spend $1.7 billion on water infrastructure over the next 10 years.

That could push next year’s proposed rates increase up to 15.4 per cent or a total of 17.4 per cent if you include the levy to sort out the city’s “sludge” problem. Aren’t the three waters such a joy?

The city is currently in Level 2 water restrictions, meaning residential sprinklers and irrigation is banned.

The good news is Wellington Water’s latest risk modelling shows the chance of moving to Level 3 restrictions, a ban on all outdoor residential water use, remains unchanged at 60 per cent.

Demand for water has held steady over the past week, but with above-average temperatures forecast, Wellington isn’t out of the woods just yet.

Here’s what you need to know about how we got here - and what happens next.

Latest water crisis news and views

- Authorities in Wellington have planned for a regional state of emergency if water levels get so low that suburbs run dry this summer.

- Emergency powers could be used to draw more water from the Hutt River and other sources to avoid a water shortage crisis in Wellington.

- Local Government Minister Simeon Brown called Wellington Water into his office before Christmas with concerns about the region’s looming water shortage crisis.

- Victoria University students are being encouraged to use the half-flush on toilets and take shorter showers - measures that go above and beyond the current water restrictions in Wellington.

- It’s a pivotal week for Wellington’s looming water shortage crisis as residents wait to hear whether further restrictions are required to avoid a drinking water emergency.

- Wellington will move to Level 2 water restrictions from January 19 as the region struggles to cope with demand.

- Wellington residents are facing a potential 15.4 per cent rates increase as the city council tries to find more money to pour into leaking pipes and avoid a drinking water emergency.

Opinion: You’d be forgiven for thinking this is the first time Wellington has faced a serious water shortage. In fact, the threat has existed for the past several summers, writes Georgina Campbell.

For full coverage of Wellington news, business, politics, events and perspectives - including the city’s water crisis - go to nzherald.co.nz/news/wellington/.