Thursday, March 26, 2009
“Hutt City Council is undertaking urgent work to repair failures in the main outfall pipeline," says City Infrastructure General Manager, Bruce Sherlock.
“While the pipeline is shut down for the repairs, treated wastewater is being discharged into the Waiwhetu Stream through the overflow outlet near the Hutt River mouth. We expect the repairs to take up to two weeks.
“Because the wastewater is fully treated and UV disinfected, the impact on the Waiwhetu Stream and Eastern Bay areas will be minor. However, the Regional Council is advising the public to avoid swimming or collecting shellfish in the affected areas until further notice. We are monitoring the water quality and reporting the results to the Regional Council.
“The pipeline is a vital part of the Hutt Valley and Wainuiomata wastewater system and we are urgently investigating the cause of the failures.
“The repairs will cause some disruption to traffic along Marine Drive at Point Howard and Days Bay. We are asking people to be patient and respect the temporary speed restrictions, and we apologise for any inconvenience caused while the repairs are undertaken.”