Ross Giblin/Stuff Much of Wellington's pipes are undersized and outdatesAdding to the problem, most stormwater pipes in Wellington built pre-1970 are physically connected to sewage pipes. When stormwater pipes are overwhelmed they merge with wastewater, which leads to huge spikes in faecal matter around the harbour and popular swimming spots when it rains. Wellington City Council three waters representative Sean Rush said high rainfall events were opening up a wider conversation within the council about water sensitive design. An Official Information Act request to council-owned Wellington Water showed $130 million in capital expenditure was requested between 2018 and 2021 to maintain and develop the network. Thirty-three per cent of wastewater pipes in Wellington are in poor or very poor condition, the worst of all major New Zealand centres.

Source: Stuff June 18, 2020 16:52 UTC