03/05/2026
03/05/2026: update on the Moa Point sewage plant fiasco and its impact on south Wellington sewage sludge dewatering plant
Hello
You may or may not be aware of where matters are at with the council's repairs on the Miramar peninsula sewage precinct at Moa Point. While the plant is severely damaged, it is now partially operational. Sewage is undergoing milliscrening and pumping it out into the Cook Strait via the Long Outfall pipe. I have copied (below) Update 43 from Wellington Water.
Separately, on 30 April, the WCC / community groups Community Advisory Group met to discuss the new landfill and other matters. One of those matters was the sewage sludge dewatering plant - SDWP - located in the Southern Landfill (that the new one at Moa Point is to replace). Essentially, the current SDWP is mothballed as the sludge material, for the time being, is not being pumped to the Southern Landfill.
The SDWP is being maintained for when operations restart at Moa Point. So, the smalls people have complained about are mostly landfill related with minimal imput from the SDWP.
Moa Point Wastewater Incident - Information Hub / Operational Updates
Operational updates
Wellington Water is responding to a significant incident at the Moa Point Wastewater Treatment Plant which has resulted in untreated wastewater discharging into Tarakena Bay on the south coast.
Update 43 - 29 April
Since our last update, screened wastewater has continued to be discharged via the long outfall pipe, and the short outfall has not been in use.
Recovery progress
The ventilation in the UV room is now operational, which has reduced the risk of hydrogen sulphide and enabled the UV renewals to resume tomorrow. The UV renewals project was underway prior to the flooding.
The Electrical Instrumentation and Controls project is progressing according to plan. Currently, the team are finishing up the removal of damaged electrical equipment and componentry in the switchroom. Some core components are in the process of being manufactured offsite, including the Motor Control Centres. The Motor Control Centres are essentially the heart of the plant, providing power to the motors which keep the plant’s equipment running.
These projects are part of a wider recovery programme made up of nearly 30 projects. We’re continuing to finalise the full programme and look forward to sharing more with the community.
If you want to learn more about the Moa Point Plant’s treatment process, you can find more information here.
Water sampling
Please see here for the latest water sampling results.
Community meetings
A big thank you to the community members who attended yesterday’s meeting. Your questions and feedback is invaluable. As a reminder, the next community meeting will be held downstairs at Maranui Cafe, on Tuesday 26 May, 6pm – 7:30pm.
Another meeting will be held in late June, with more meetings to be scheduled as and when needed. If you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] or call 04 912 4400.
Community notifications
We understand that people may be interested in specific aspects of the Moa Point incident and the work underway, and may prefer to receive updates that focus on those areas. If this sounds like you, please complete the form linked below to let us know your preferences.
Moa Point Information and Updates
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Please feel free to share this form with your friends, whanau and wider networks.
For more information
All previous updates and FAQs are available here.
For further information on sampling results, click here.
For the latest public health information, please refer to Health NZ’s website.
For guidance on safe swimming, please refer to LAWA.
Yours sincerely,
Carl Savage
for and on behalf of
*Greater Brooklyn Residents Association* *Incorporated (GBRAI)*
P: Brooklyn Community Centre, 18 Harrison Street, Brooklyn, Wellington, 6021
E: [email protected]
F: *www.facebook.com/brooklynresidentswellington
*
