Ref: 21-108
Richard Hopkins
[email address]
24 August 2021
Brian Warburton
Via email: [FYI request #16216 email]
Dear Brian
Official information request regarding the lawfulness of wastewater pipes and discharges
I refer to your official information request dated 27 July regarding the recent failure of the wastewater
(WW) main south of Paremata, and the diversion of wastewater flow to a redundant WW main on the
western side of Porirua Harbour at Whitireia and Onepoto.
The information you have requested is enclosed. The questions you specified have been included as
numbered headings in bold below, with our response following each heading.
1. details of the work undertaken by WWL and/or PCC;
Please see attached information.
2. a copy of the current consents under the RMA (if any) that PCC/WWL has relied upon for:
the infrastructure; the work undertaken on it; and, the discharges from it, in respect of:
-
the use of land in terms of section 9 of the RMA
This information has been refused under section 17(e) the Local Government Official Information
and Meetings Act 1987 on the grounds that the document does not exist. The emergency works
were carried out under Section 330 of the RMA. The need for Resource Consent is yet to be
determined and the Council is awaiting further information from Wellington Water.
-
the use of land in terms of section 13 of the RMA
-
restrictions imposed under section 12 of the RMA
-
restrictions imposed under section 15 of the RMA.
This part of the request was transferred to Greater Wellington Regional Council who have
provided the information to you separately.
Please note that overflow volumes were not able to be measured due to the lack of flow
monitoring at the discharge locations for this emergency repair. An estimate of the wastewater
overflow has been prepared below by Wellington Water staff based on volumes measured at
upstream pump stations and the estimated volume transferred with the use of sucker trucks
while the Paremata pump stations were turned off to allow repair work on the pipeline.
Dates
Duration,
Upstream
Sucker truck
Net estimated
hrs
pumped
estimated
overflow, m³
inflow,m³
volume,m³
17 – 18
35.50
10,500
2,760
7,740
July
23 July
9.50
2,080
760
1,320
25 July
11.50
4,300
920
3,380
3. a copy of all correspondence within, and between, PCC/WWL about the lawfulness or
otherwise of: the specifically in terms of:
- the WW main as a structure;
- the recent work undertaken on it; and,
- the recent discharges from it.
Please see attached information.
We have redacted some information under section 7 (2) (a) to protect the privacy of natural persons.
If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact Richard Hopkins on 04 237 5089.
Ngā mihi
Wendy Walker
Chief Executive
Kaiwhakahaere Matua
