Officials have announced that a fix to stop millions of litres of sewage spilling into the waters off New Zealand's capital, Wellington, will be in place by November, with full repairs costing NZ$53.5 million expected by late 2027. The catastrophic failure of the Moa Point wastewater plant on 4 February has resulted in raw and partially screened human effluent being discharged directly into the Pacific Ocean for over 100 days.
Wellington's mayor, Andrew Little, said the plant would be operational again in six months, with major repair works completed by November. By then, effluent would be removed and waste products mostly treated, with water quality improving to the highest level within weeks. Full restoration of capacity and a fix for the design flaw that caused the failure would be completed by late 2027.
Local businesses have expressed disappointment with the timeline. Steve Walters, general manager of Destination Kilbirnie, said the two dozen most affected businesses, including diving and water recreation companies, were projected to lose NZ$3-4 million in earnings if the plant was fixed by September. Now, some may not survive winter. A council business subsidy of NZ$200,000 was deemed insufficient, and legal action is being considered.
Wellington Water's chief operating operator, Charles Barker, said they were working 'incredibly fast' on the complex plan, noting the scale of the floods and the enormity of the task. He added that the rebuild would focus on preventing another disaster, and that the chance of the plant flooding again would be eliminated once the work is complete.
An independent crown review of the disaster is due in August, with damage reports finding an air bubble in a pipe likely contributed to the flooding, destroying 80% of equipment. The Moa Point facility is owned by local government and a council-owned water utility, Wellington Water, which contracts Veolia to run the plant. On 1 July, a new entity, Tiaki Wai, will take over the region's water assets.
