Wellington's wastewater network is expected to be running back to normal this evening, after a burst sewage pipe was given a temporary fix.
Photo: RNZ/ Samuel Rillstone
It started just after midday on Monday when a pipe burst at the intersection of Victoria Street and Mercer Street.
The burst led to closures for many roads, as crews worked to repair the broken pipe.
Residents and businesses have spent the entire day conserving water, and only flushing when absolutely necessary.
That was to ensure the storage container - approximately the size of an Olympic swimming pool beneath the Michael Fowler Centre - remained under capacity.
If it went over, that would lead to an overflow into the harbour.
While that situation was avoided, it has led to disruption for many businesses and people in the city.
"Well the smell's obviously been impacting business, it's turning people away," Caffeinated Dragon Games owner and manager Rhys Kaan.
"We've noticed a little bit less foot traffic. When the wind changes we can certainly tell the difference."
Photo: RNZ/ Samuel Rillstone
For Lauren, heading to work on a bus, it was an inconvenience, and now just a part of Wellington life.
"It's normal now, it doesn't seem like something should be normal. It's pretty nasty."
There have been numerous pipe bursts in the last 12 months, including one which happened just down the road from this latest one.
Then there was the huge burst just before Christmas in 2019, which led to 12 million litres of sewage pouring out into the harbour.
Both incidents have had a traumatising effect on businesses, which fear bursts could lead to weeks or even months-long repairs, as it did for the [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/413085/wellington-s-willis-street-sewage-pipe-repair
breakage on Willis Street].
"The big one last year had me a little bit worried, like what if something happened around here, and of course, there was the one just down the road last year," Kaan said.
"That would definitely impact us and at that point, we would have to start planning around it because it's no use trying to do retail with that going right outside the door."
Wellington City Council is promising to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the city's underground infrastructure over the next 30 years.
Photo: RNZ/ Samuel Rillstone
Mayor Andy Foster has also suggested they will bring forward repairs for the section of the network which failed yesterday, which was due to be replaced in the next two or three years.
"In terms of how long it takes to fix things, it will take time. This particular pipe, I think you will see brought forward, it was already in the budget, so intended to be replaced.
"But we do need to put more money in so we can do more quickly, to the best extent that resources allow that to be done."
Meanwhile, Wellington Water chief executive Colin Crampton said while the temporary fix has been completed, the permanent job is a bit more complicated.
"The split that's occurred in the cast iron main, requires a length of road about 10 metres to be dug up.
"As they've started to open up, there's gas, telecom, our own water, there's a lot of pipes in that area, and there's a whole concrete chamber for some reason.
"And we've got to manage our way through that, and we can't do that quickly."
