31 July 2020

Earlier in the week, third-party work undertaken near the Lake Ferry Wastewater Treatment Plant damaged the discharge pipework that takes wastewater from the plant to the irrigation field. This resulted in the discharge of partially treated wastewater into the nearby wetlands.

On Wednesday night, Council and Wellington Water asked residents of Lake Ferry to reduce the demand on the wastewater network by avoiding the use of showers and flushing toilets where they could, while the repairs were being completed.

We’re pleased to advise that Wellington Water has installed a temporary overland pipeline to allow normal operation of the plant to resume, while a permanent repair solution is developed. This means that residents of Lake Ferry can now resume regular water consumption.

With the approval of Regional Public Health, warning signs to keep out the water have also been removed from the beach. An investigation is underway to fully understand why and how the pipe became damaged.

Further updates on the repairs will be shared here on our website, and by email to property owners we hold addresses for. If you would like to be added to the email distribution list, please contact comms@swdc.govt.nz.

Thank you all for your co-operation. Any queries, please call Council on 06 306 9611 (including out of hours).