Update on Ōwhiro Catchment (11/12/22)
Wellington Water has provided an update specifically on the Ōwhiro Catchment.
Ōwhiro Bay Residents Association continues to meet and talk with WW about ongoing monitoring and improvement of water quality in our catchment.
What are we doing right now?
Our priority and current focus for improving environmental water quality is to reduce wastewater entering the stormwater network during both dry and wet weather. We are delivering this work through a series of projects.
In accordance with GSC stage 1 (Global Stormwater Consent) we monitor stream water quality on a monthly basis at three designated sites in Owhiro Bay, namely Owhiro Bay (beach), below T&T Landfill, and upstream of the Owhiro Bay Parade Bridge. The consent also requires us to undertake an investigation if the routine E.coli monitoring at either of these sites identifies a single result >10,000cfu/100mL or two successive monthly E.coli results >1,000cfu/100mL. These investigations are only initiated if the sample was not influenced by rainfall.
In these projects we are checking the condition of the private and public network, asking private property owners to carry out repairs on their pipes, and repairing public network faults.
With special funding from Wellington, Hutt and Porirua councils we began work in 2021 in three catchments : Owhiro Bay, Titahi Bay and Wainuiomata. Customers located in these catchments may have received correspondence from Wellington Water branded as Knowing Your Pipes, introducing the issues and the investigative work we are undertaking.
What will be done in the future?
The programme is planned to run until 2024. In addition to the current focus, which will deliver the most rapid water quality improvements, we are working on developing green infrastructure, renewing consents, preparing stormwater management strategies, developing a contaminant model, strengthening our policy and education, and improving how we store and use data.
Owhiro Bay
The investigations on the private side of the network have proven very effective in reducing the wastewater contamination of the Owhiro Stream.
To date, the Knowing Your Pipes team surveyed 230 properties, out of which, 15 major faults were found at the private laterals, 7 were fixed. Reminder letters were sent to 8 property owners in Owhiro Bay in early November, 2022, if they had a fault that needed to be repaired, and will keep in touch with them to help close that work out. As the faults at private lateral being fixed, we saw a noticeable improvement in water quality.
We are also planning to complete a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) inspection of the public pipes later this year. Any faults found in that inspection will be programmed for repairs.
Whilst this work is under way we will continue to monitor water quality to understand the impact of the project – and help inform work elsewhere.
Water Quality Trend in the last six months (Note we have noticed some data gaps from Lutra and in the process of fixing the issue)
Ōwhiro Bay Residents Association continues to meet and talk with WW about ongoing monitoring and improvement of water quality in our catchment.
What are we doing right now?
Our priority and current focus for improving environmental water quality is to reduce wastewater entering the stormwater network during both dry and wet weather. We are delivering this work through a series of projects.
In accordance with GSC stage 1 (Global Stormwater Consent) we monitor stream water quality on a monthly basis at three designated sites in Owhiro Bay, namely Owhiro Bay (beach), below T&T Landfill, and upstream of the Owhiro Bay Parade Bridge. The consent also requires us to undertake an investigation if the routine E.coli monitoring at either of these sites identifies a single result >10,000cfu/100mL or two successive monthly E.coli results >1,000cfu/100mL. These investigations are only initiated if the sample was not influenced by rainfall.
In these projects we are checking the condition of the private and public network, asking private property owners to carry out repairs on their pipes, and repairing public network faults.
With special funding from Wellington, Hutt and Porirua councils we began work in 2021 in three catchments : Owhiro Bay, Titahi Bay and Wainuiomata. Customers located in these catchments may have received correspondence from Wellington Water branded as Knowing Your Pipes, introducing the issues and the investigative work we are undertaking.
What will be done in the future?
The programme is planned to run until 2024. In addition to the current focus, which will deliver the most rapid water quality improvements, we are working on developing green infrastructure, renewing consents, preparing stormwater management strategies, developing a contaminant model, strengthening our policy and education, and improving how we store and use data.
Owhiro Bay
The investigations on the private side of the network have proven very effective in reducing the wastewater contamination of the Owhiro Stream.
To date, the Knowing Your Pipes team surveyed 230 properties, out of which, 15 major faults were found at the private laterals, 7 were fixed. Reminder letters were sent to 8 property owners in Owhiro Bay in early November, 2022, if they had a fault that needed to be repaired, and will keep in touch with them to help close that work out. As the faults at private lateral being fixed, we saw a noticeable improvement in water quality.
We are also planning to complete a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) inspection of the public pipes later this year. Any faults found in that inspection will be programmed for repairs.
Whilst this work is under way we will continue to monitor water quality to understand the impact of the project – and help inform work elsewhere.
Water Quality Trend in the last six months (Note we have noticed some data gaps from Lutra and in the process of fixing the issue)
