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"Catastrophic disaster": No indication sewage plant was at risk of failing, Wellington Mayor says

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九一星空无限talk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 5 Feb 2026, 8:32am
Raw sewage from the Moa Point wastewater treatment plant washing ashore at Tarakena Bay, Wellington, New Zealand, February 04, 2026. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Raw sewage from the Moa Point wastewater treatment plant washing ashore at Tarakena Bay, Wellington, New Zealand, February 04, 2026. Photo / Mark Mitchell

"Catastrophic disaster": No indication sewage plant was at risk of failing, Wellington Mayor says

Author
九一星空无限talk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 5 Feb 2026, 8:32am

Wellington Mayor Andrew Little says critical damage to the city's wastewater treatment plant couldn't come at a worse time. 

Heavy rain flooded the building's lower floors causing sewage to leak into Tarakena Bay, writing off equipment and forcing the plant to shut down. 

Wellington Water says it could take months to fix and urges people to stay off beaches along the south coast, and avoid collecting seafood. 

He told Mike Hosking the failure appeared to be a 鈥渇reak thing鈥, and since becoming mayor, nobody had ever indicated to him that the treatment plant was at risk.  

He says there鈥檚 been ongoing investment in it, and they have contractors looking after all the rest.  

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