A Wellington woman impacted by recent flooding says people have been dumpster-diving through her contaminated rubbish in the middle of the night, taking damaged items.
The Mt Cook resident, whose rubbish was rifled through while awaiting council collection, said she’s worried about the health risks contaminated items will pose.
Piper Van Rinsvelt told the Herald she had noticed strangers going through her rubbish several times in the past week.
She said she had put a large amount of rubbish on her kerb and was waiting for it to be picked up by the Wellington City Council, which is offering a free waste collection service for households affected by the floods.
But she had noticed that items were being taken - including at 1.30am last Sunday when she spotted a man wearing a headtorch searching through her bin bags. A silver car was parked next to the bags with its brake lights on.
Van Rinsvelt, 24, threw a lot of items out after they were soaked with a mixture of what appeared to be floodwater, wastewater and sewage.
These included tables, suitcases, shelves, an ironing board, a gym chair, clothes, stuffed toys and nail polish.
“We didn’t throw this stuff out because we didn’t want it,” she said.
“We threw this out because we didn’t want to get sick.”
During the flooding, Van Rinsvelt’s bottom floor filled with water up to her shins.
She works as an illustrator and her bottom floor contained her art studio and garage, which housed a lot of furniture and items she had not unpacked after moving into the apartment five months ago.
Van Rinsvelt has lived in Mt Cook for five years and had never experienced flooding before living in her current home.
She said her flat was the lowest-sitting property on her street and seemed to be the only one that put out council-provided white bin bags full of damaged goods.
The first night she put her rubbish out on the road, she said she saw an older couple drive up to the pile at 2am and “robotically” load their car with furniture.
“They seemed like they had an absolute plan,” she said.
In another instance, Van Rinsvelt saw people stealing storage bins she had thrown out.
The bins were full of other contaminated rubbish and she said people took the containers but dumped the contents all around the street.
It forced Van Rinsvelt to spend time tidying up the pile of rubbish multiple days in a row.
“I can barely tie it up anymore because it’s all been displaced ... And I’m honestly scared that the council won’t pick it up because now it’s not properly sitting up.”
Van Rinsvelt said she knew Wellingtonians loved thrifting second-hand goods and admitted she had found great items that were left on the street.
However, she felt taking flood-damaged items from other people’s rubbish was a step too far and “wasn’t safe”.
Massey University senior lecturer Mikael Boulic is an expert on building technology and public health and said saving damaged items is possible if done correctly and efficiently.
To prevent mould from growing, it was crucial to dry as much as possible, as quickly as possible.
If you were indoors, Boulic recommended maximising ventilation, using a heater and getting access to a professional dehumidifier.
On days with nice weather, furniture could be placed outdoors to dry in the sun.
If mould was already starting to spread on an item, Boulic said it could be cleaned with a solution of 70% white vinegar and 30% water, or a mixture of soap and hot water.
He advised wearing a mask and gloves while handling any contaminated items.
“Mould will return if moisture persists so it’s crucial to eliminate dampness to solve the problem.”
Ultimately, Boulic said it was “all about common sense”.
“People are clever enough, I think, to judge if the furniture is still usable and is not damaged by mould.
“I’m not saying it’s okay, I’m saying it could be done if people are following the right process.”
The Herald has contacted the Wellington City Council for comment.
Janhavi Gosavi is a Wellington-based journalist for the New Zealand Herald who covers news in the capital.