OWHIRO BAY WATER QUALITY UPDATE

The Team from Wellington Water

The water quality in Owhiro Bay is being affected by a cross-connection. A cross-connection is where a wastewater pipe is connected into a stormwater pipe. Most cross-connections are from private pipes into public (council) pipes, and this is the case here. Wastewater from private properties is entering the stormwater system, which leads to Owhiro Stream, which leads to the Bay.

We are working with the property owners concerned, who were not aware of the issue, to resolve it as quickly as possible. We expect to have these sorted by the end of the week. We're also continuing our investigation and testing; it can be a mistake to think the first fault you come across will fix the problem.

If you have concerns about what you think might be a cross-connection at your place, please let us know and we'll come and take a look. Our main concern is to eliminate as many of these as we can.

Warning signs that recommend against swimming and fishing in Owhiro Bay remain in place, and will stay there until we receive three consecutive days of clear results. We will update via social media and the website when this changes.

If you have been swimming in the area and feel sick, please visit your doctor.

We will be sharing regular updates every few days on the situation in Owhiro Bay through our website and social media platforms.