Westport running out of water after slips damage water supply
Westport residents are being asked to conserve water after multiple slips stopped water getting to the town's reservoir.
The slips happened during last week’s orange heavy rain event that caused mandatory evacuations on the West Coast, 22 homes to be flooded and road closures.
Buller mayor Jamie Cleine said no water was getting to the town’s reservoir after multiple slips came down in the Sergeant’s Hill area just north of Westport.
“Either the intake pipes are damaged or they are that muddy it is not getting through."
Council staff and contractors were working on the slips and investigating the cause.
The reservoir currently was about 80 per cent full but that would only last days, he said.
As a result, the Emergency Operations Centre was still operational and the state of emergency, which was due to expire on Thursday, was likely to be extended.
A contingency plant could include redirecting some creeks into the reservoir, but it was likely not enough, he said.
“We are bringing in expertise to help us come up with a fix and we are all busy scurrying around to figure out what we can stack up,” he said.
Waimangaroa, just north of Westport, had been without water since Thursday last week after slips damaged the pipes along Conns Creek Rd, but the supply was restored on Monday afternoon.
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Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”
We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?
Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.
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40.8% Yes
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33.4% Maybe?
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25.8% No
Some Choice News!
Many New Zealand gardens aren’t seeing as many monarch butterflies fluttering around their swan plants and flower beds these days — the hungry Asian paper wasp has been taking its toll.
Thanks to people like Alan Baldick, who’s made it his mission to protect the monarch, his neighbours still get to enjoy these beautiful butterflies in their own backyards.
Thinking about planting something to invite more butterflies, bees, and birds into your garden?
Thanks for your mahi, Alan! We hope this brings a smile!
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