Wastewater spill prompts renewed calls for user responsibility
A wastewater spill on to the lakefront by the Great Lake Walkway near the Napier Road intersection last night has prompted renewed calls for the community to take better care at what they are putting down drains.
Fat was identified as the cause of the spill as it had congealed in one hard lump and caused the pipe to block. A high-pressure jettison was needed to clear the pipe.
It was not known whether the spill entered the lake however no swimming signs were installed while water samples were tested as a precaution. It was the second incident in a week with a split pipe the cause of a minor spill near Kowhai Road last Monday night.
Chief executive Gareth Green said while the council took full responsibility for any spill caused by faulty infrastructure, the community had a massive part to play in protecting the lake when it came to disposing of fats, wipes and other items that caused pipes to block.
"As a council we have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last year cleaning the pipes, which has drastically reduced the number of spills we were experiencing as we recognised it was happening far too often," said Mr Green.
"The only thing that will stop the blockages is if people stop flushing things they shouldn't particularly wet wipes and fats. No system in the world can cope with that," he said.
The council had allowed extra funding for its cleaning programme, and had launched an education programme to try and prevent spills from happening.
"We are also trying to work with manufacturers and suppliers of things like wet wipes, but that is proving challenging and will probably require national legislation," said Mr Green.
"We need people to take responsibility for their own actions and to do the right thing."
Initial water sampling results from the latest spill are due back tomorrow morning.
March 5, 2019