Source: Porirua City Council
A programme to identify broken sewer pipes on private and public property is playing its part to improve Porirua Harbour’s health, with hundreds of repairs being carried out since the initiative began.
Porirua City councillors were briefed on the Knowing Your Pipes programme at a workshop last Thursday. The project, led by Wellington Water Ltd (WWL), began four years ago to identify and fix problem areas causing pollution in Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour.
To locate faults, a WWL drainage investigation crew identify and trace pollution caused by broken pipes. Where pipes are privately owned, property owners are required to take action to repair them.
Since 2021, a total of 571 private wastewater and stormwater faults have been identified in Porirua. Of these, only 38 major faults are yet to be fixed, with almost half of these being in Kāinga Ora properties and scheduled for works.
While most private property owners will voluntarily fix faulty pipes, from time to time there can be a delay in owners taking action. When a fault is found, the programme follows a structured process to notify and remind owners of repairs that are needed.
At the workshop, officers outlined those steps, as well as the enforcement process and a financial assistance programme, where a repair can be paid for over time.
Porirua Mayor Anita Baker says it is pleasing to see that there has been a high fix rate, with most property owners playing their part in restoring the health of our harbour.
“The recent signing of the Porirua Harbour Accord underscores how important this issue is.
“We all have a role to play – on both private and public land.”
Faults found on the public network are fixed as part of the infrastructure maintenance programme. Since Knowing Your Pipes began, 41 major public faults have been found. All but 10 of these have been fixed, with the rest in train.
The newly minted Porirua Harbour Accord, signed in February between Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, Porirua City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Wellington City Council, and WWL, alongside stakeholders, community groups, and organisations dedicated to improving the harbour’s health, sets the strategic context for Knowing Your Pipes, the workshop briefing noted.
