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A geyser of human faeces burst through the bitumen in Warkworth last week forcing a temporary closure of Whitaker Road while contractors sought to make repairs.
The pipe was swiftly shut off by Downer contractors, who were able to repair the sewer and reseal the road by the end of the day. Watercare spokesperson Maxine Clayton said the cause of the burst pipe was not known.
She said ‘sucker trucks’ were brought in to remove as much wastewater as possible from the stormwater network, which leads into the Mahurangi River.
It was estimated that about 50,000 litres of wastewater spilled from the broken pipe before it could be shut off.
Water quality tests carried out by Watercare using samples from the Mahurangi River showed minimal levels of pollution.
