The council said in this instance procedures in place ensured staff responded immediately and were able to avoid the potential overflow from the main Eastside pump station on Hona Rd.
The call to residents this morning to try to keep water use to a minimum also helped to avoid an overflow and council said it was grateful for the public's assistance.
"The build-up of silt that had entered and blocked the pump station has now been cleared and temporary measures that have been put in place are working, enabling the necessary repairs to be made."
There was no overflow or spill on this occasion.
"The emergency procedure in place enabled staff to respond quickly which meant they could contain the wastewater on site at the pump station.
"Repairs are now under way but we ask that Eastside residents remain mindful of their water use and not use water unnecessarily."
That meant keeping showers short, only using the dishwasher or washing machine if necessary, and not leaving taps running.
Earlier:
A build-up of wastewater from a damaged pipe is behind calls for reduced water use in the eastern suburbs of Rotorua this morning.
Rotorua Lakes Council asked residents and businesses in all eastern suburbs, including Lynmore, Ōkareka, Ngāpuna, Ōwhata, all the way to and including Brunswick and Otaramarae, to help reduce wastewater by avoiding non-essential water use.
The council said in an updated statement this morning Trility crews were alerted to an issue at the main pump station in Hona Rd last night.
"Silt and rubble from what appears to be a damaged pipe near the station caused continual blockages in the main, resulting in a build-up of wastewater," the statement said.
"Trility responded to the issue before an overflow occurred and have worked through the night with mobile pumps and sucker trucks to reduce the level of wastewater within the pump station and network.
"There has been no overflow/spill," the statement said.
Infrastructure group manager Stavros Michael said the level of wastewater was continuing to fall but it was still important that people in the eastside continued to reduce any water use until further notice.
"We usually get a peak flow between 10 and 11am after people have finished with showers and put laundry on, so we've asked residents and businesses to reduce any non-essential water use.
"People can still do the essentials like washing hands and brushing teeth but if they can hold off on a shower this morning or leave laundry until tomorrow that would help to reduce the wastewater and avoid an overflow and so we can get on to repairs faster."
Michael said getting the community on board when these things happened is all part of the contingency planning they had in place for managing a network of more than 500km of pipes.
Once the wastewater has been reduced to normal levels and standby pumps are managing the wastewater flow, Trility staff could begin the process of clearing the debris from the pump chamber and repairing the pipe.
Further updates will be shared with the community as this work happens.
How to help:
• Avoid or reduce any non-essential water use including showers, laundry, flushing the toilet, dishwashers
• Essentials are okay – brushing teeth, washing hands, flushing the toilet when necessary etc
• Keep an eye on council's website and social media for updates
• Share with people you know in the eastside community so they can help too
