Update Saturday 29 June 12.30pm - the emergency sewer valves are now closed and all discharges have stopped.
For the next 5 days we advise no swimming, fishing or gathering shellfish in city’s rivers and beaches and warning signs are removed.
25 June - The city’s wastewater system is flooded with intense rain draining from residential properties.
Ground water levels were already very high due to rain that started at the weekend, this combined with more rain today has resulted in surface flooding finding its way into the sewer.
To prevent sewage from overflowing back into homes and onto roads and causing a significant health risk, we must release the excess water. To do this we opened the emergency sewer valve at Gladstone Road into the Turanganui River at 2.30pm.
Scour valves to the Taruheru River were opened at Palmerston Road and at Oak Street at 3pm and at Owen Road into the Waimata river at 3.08pm.
We only open the valve when it’s absolutely necessary and only in the areas with issues.
The discharge is highly diluted with rain water, but still poses a health risk.
We’ll notify the Hauora Tairāwhiti Medical Officer of Health, water user and sports groups.
Temporary warning signs will be installed and we advise no swimming, fishing or gathering shellfish in rivers and beaches until at least 5 days after the valves are closed and warning signs are removed.
We’ll update the post when the discharge has stopped.
We don't make the call to discharge to rivers lightly, we do this to prevent sewage from overflowing back into people's homes and properties in the city, and onto roads, causing a significant health risk. Unfortunately this however results in health risks in the rivers, beaches and nearby coastal areas, which is why we advise against swimming, fishing or gathering shellfish in rivers and beaches over this time.
For info on what causes emergency discharges in heavy rain, here’s the info.
Check the rainfall data.