New Zealand faces a crisis as storm rains cause sewage system failure, resulting in sewage and waste flooding homes in the capital, Wellington. Authorities have warned residents to avoid coastal areas and prohibited swimming.
Chaos erupted in Wellington, New Zealand's capital, after raw sewage flooded numerous homes in the Island Bay neighborhood. The flooding followed heavy storm rains that caused blockages in the sewage drainage system.
Wellington Water, the utility company managing public services, reported that the sewage overflow was due to a blockage in the main pipe, affecting many homes. Officials are working with homeowners to clean and disinfect the affected areas.
Local resident Richard Peters told local media that the situation worsened as water levels receded, revealing waste, sanitary products, and brown water spread across the ground, which he described as very disgusting.
New Zealand's Meteorological Service (MetService) stated that the thunderstorm that hit Wellington last night produced over 5,000 lightning strikes and more than 25.7 millimeters of rain within just two hours.
The heavy rain compounded problems at the Moa Point wastewater treatment plant, which was damaged in a February storm and has yet to return to full operational capacity.
Previously, reports indicated that millions of liters of untreated sewage flowed into the sea along Wellington’s southern coast due to treatment system issues. Although some repairs have been made, the plant is expected to resume full operations in November.
Wellington Water said the latest storm forced the release of more untreated sewage into the sea and issued warnings for the public to avoid Tarakena Bay and to refrain from swimming, surfing, or kayaking along the city’s southern coastline until further notice.
. Source:channelnewsasia
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