Source: Radio New Zealand
Experts say it is safe to swim at beaches in the capital’s harbour, but Wellingtonians are taking a cautious approach.
Nearly a week ago, the Moa Point Treatment Plant started pumping raw sewage into the ocean off the south coast after it completely failed early Wednesday morning.
The following Thursday evening, the raw sewage was diverted from being dumped near the coast to a 1.8km outfall pipe.
Wellington Water has warned it may need to use the short outfall pipe if it were to rain in the city.
There was no evidence to suggest sewage was reaching the city’s inner harbour, but at Oriental Bay most people RNZ spoke to thought locals were being careful around the water.
Calypso Science, a New Plymouth based oceanography research company with a focus on coastal currents, created a model of Wellington’s south coast after the sewage plant failure.
Physical oceanographer Remy Zyngfogel told RNZ based on that work, the sewage seemed not to be flowing into the inner harbour.
“I didn’t see anything near Lower Hutt, it is mainly concentrated near Lyall Bay and Ōwhiro Bay.”
See the migration of sewage in Wellington Harbour in the player above.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
