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Residents living alongside the Te Ara Tahuna Estuary Cycleway and Walkway are seeking answers about Watercare’s long-term plans for a ruptured wastewater pipe that has forced the path alongside the estuary to be closed since late March.
Matt Thomson, whose property adjoins the walkway, says while Watercare has notified neighbours about emergency works, there is still little clarity around a permanent solution.
He believes the rupture is caused by leaking wastewater undermining the slope.
Thomson says a similar break occurred about three years ago, when the area around the pipeline was rebuilt.
“We’ve had leaks coming through since, then the big storms and the pavement moved and the slips,” he says.
He says another overflow occurred on the Friday before Anzac weekend, with wastewater flowing into the estuary.
“All the water and sewage is coming out in the same place as three years ago, and there are ongoing leaks and smell. Those lines have broken and they have been scouring away the soil and rocks along the bank. If you walk along there, you’ll find multiple slips. They can replace the sewer line, but if they don’t stabilise that bank, it will keep breaking.”
Thomson says with the latest incident, some neighbours have experienced sewage backing up into their homes, while a noisy generator has been operating nearby around the clock.
“What’s going to be done so that in the next storm, this doesn’t happen again? The volume of sewage going into the estuary is disgusting. What’s the long-term strategy?”
Watercare says the walkway between Pohutukawa Bridge and Moffat Road will remain closed while further issues with repairs are addressed.
A spokesperson says the fault first occurred on March 26, when the Māori Hut Road wastewater pipe broke, allowing wastewater to enter the estuary. A temporary bypass system was installed, using an overland pipe to divert flows into a downstream manhole while a permanent fix is investigated.
However, the spokesperson says the repair is complex due to unstable ground around the damaged pipe.
On April 24, the bypass system also failed, causing another overflow into the Ōrewa Estuary. A black flag warning was issued on Safeswim from April 24 to 26.
“Standard practice for network overflows is to flag Safeswim sites only within 1km of the overflow location.
“In the case of Ōrewa Beach, only the southern end of the beach, between the estuary bridge and the rock groyne, falls within this 1km threshold. This section of the beach is located at the mouth of the estuary, where any residual low-level contamination would be expected to be substantially diluted by the tide,” the spokesperson says.
“We know that this situation is disruptive to the local community and we appreciate their patience. Our contractor will start work on the permanent repair this week, which will involve replacing the entire wastewater pipe affected by the break and potentially building a new retaining wall,” the spokesperson says.
People are being asked to respect safety barriers and avoid the affected area.
A detour is in place, directing walkers and cyclists via Moffat Road and along Pohutukawa Avenue.
