Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Lower Hutt residents are being warned of foul smells while work is done on the Seaview sewage treatment facility.
The plant has been notorious in the community for causing a smell which some described as being so bad it made them dry retch.
Wellington Water said the dryer at the Seaview wastewater treatment plant was shut off for repairs earlier this week, and will likely stay off until the end of next week.
Sludge that would normally be dried will be transported, wet, to Silverstream landfill.
Wet sludge smells more than dry sludge.
"We appreciate that any odour is unpleasant," the organisation said in a statement.
"We want to reassure the community that reducing the impact of this odour and protecting the health and balance of the plant is our top priority."
It said it was doing what it could to reduce the smell, including putting up temporary shields around the loading zone, making sure truck loads were well covered, and using odour neutralisers when needed.
The dryer - which removes water from the solid material left over in treated sewage - is near the end of its working life and needs lots of maintenance before it is replaced by the end of 2027.
RNZ previously reported Wellington Water had attempted to reprimand Seaview's operator, the Veolia multinational, over the stench.
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