Wellington’s mayor has taken a swim in front of the cameras to prove residents can swim again at southern beaches after a major sewage leak – but at their own risk.
The city’s southern coast has been off-limits since the Moa Point treatment plant failed catastrophically on 4 February, sending about 70 million litres of untreated sewage to the sea daily. The no-go zones include Ōwhiro and Island bays, just a few kilometres from the plant.
Wellington Mayor Andrew Little announced on Wednesday that the beach ban has been lifted and the city has returned to its regular system for updating residents about where it is safe to swim.
This means residents can check where it is safe to swim on the LAWA website and make their own informed decision about returning to the beaches.
“We have to be realistic and practical about what we’re asking people to do. Conditions can change rapidly. There are areas where the risk remains higher, such as near the short outfall pipe at Tarakena Bay,” he said.
Little advises residents to check the website before swimming and follow the advice on it.
“I do want to be clear: a risk remains, but monitoring results so far show that it is low and it is now up to people to decide how they respond to the current information,” Little said.
“I want to thank Wellingtonians and local businesses for their patience and understanding. Our city has rallied behind the workers who’ve been tireless in cleaning out the Moa Pt plant and walking the coast to keep people informed.
“Today’s progress marks a turning point, but we are far from the end of the journey. There is still a major infrastructure plant to restore, and lessons that must be learned through the Crown Review process.”
To prove the water was safe again, Little then went for a dip at Lyall Bay.
The government has launched an independent review into the Moa Point treatment plant failure.
It comes after the Wellington Water chair, Nick Leggett, resigned on 15 February, saying stepping aside would allow Wellington Water to focus on fixing the problems and restoring public trust.
Since the discharge began, an interagency group including National Public Health, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Wellington City Council, and Wellington Water has been monitoring the water quality sample results.
If the short outfall is used, Wellington Water will alert LAWA immediately, who will continue to provide advice to the public about which beaches are safe to swim along the south coast. LAWA’s standard advice is not to enter the water during rainfall, or after rain for 48 hours.
