Fire at pump station affects water supply to Brooklyn

The Team from Wellington Water

UPDATE 3:30pm

Our crews have put a temporary fix in place that means we can restart supplying water to the reservoir. Please don't go nuts with your water use as we are still working on a permanent fix which will take a couple of days.

Residents shouldn't notice any interruptions to their water supply, however if you do experience any water pressure or quality issues please contact Wellington City Council on 04 499 4444.

UPDATE 12pm

An electrical fire at Brooklyn’s Epuni Street drinking water pump station overnight has damaged important equipment used to control the supply of water to a major reservoir.

The Brooklyn reservoir holds 24 hours’ worth of drinking-water and supplies approximately 10,000 residents of Brooklyn. The reservoir is currently about 75% full.

Our crews have been on site since 3:00am this morning and are working to get this pump station up and running as quickly as possible.

There is currently no immediate threat to water supply for residents, however we’re asking residents to conserve water until we have a fix in place.

Things you can do to reduce your water use:
- Put off watering your garden.
- Hold off of washing your clothes or putting your dishwasher on.
- Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth and washing your hands.
- Reduce your shower time or put off showering.
- Use the single flush button on your toilet (or apply the ‘if it’s yellow let it mellow’ rule).

At this stage we expect to get some service restored to the pump station this afternoon but it could take until tomorrow.

We will provide updates once we have further information.

This is also a great reminder to make sure you have your home water storage sorted. In case of an emergency you will need to rely on the water you have stored at home. You can purchase 200 litre water tanks from your local council for $105, or simply fill plastic bottles of various sizes and store in a cool dry space.