Wellington Water Ltd has advised it inadvertently supplied some inaccurate information about water loss to the South Wairarapa District Council’s Assets and Services Committee meeting on February 2.

A graph in the Officer’s Report showed 80 per cent water loss in October 2021 through leaks in the Featherston network.

The figure resulted from a technical issue in October which affected how leakage data was gathered and analysed.

In fact, the percentage of water lost that month in Featherston was likely to be around 60 per cent, a similar level to November’s.  Other figures in the graph were accurate.

Although water loss in Featherston is still high, it dropped significantly further to 40 per cent in January 2022, following the repair of a 100mm watermain and a leaking connection on Boundary Road.

Wellington Water apologised for any confusion and alarm the figure may have caused.

While a 40 per cent leakage rate in Featherston is substantial, the Council notes the repairs show how a number of small leaks can have a significant impact on a network of Featherston’s size. 

However, the water loss in Featherston is still higher than it should be, and Wellington Water and the Council are committed to carrying out more investigative work to further improve the district’s water network.

At the same meeting last week, the committee agreed to authorise the Chief Executive to begin temporary repairs on the damaged Tauherenikau River pipeline, which supplies Featherston’s drinking water. 

Chief Executive Harry Wilson said the Council would pursue a short-term fix to secure the pipe, with increased monitoring, while a more permanent solution is sought.