Homeowners across Wellington could be forced to pay to fix pipes

Reporter Community News

Homeowners across Wellington may be forced to fix leaking pipes at their own cost with a “test case” project currently underway in Ōwhiro Bay on the south coast.
Residents in the Ōwhiro Stream catchment – where repeated efforts to find the source of faecal contamination in the stream and bay have not been wholly successful – have already been told by Wellington Water that their private wastewater pipes will be tested with homes in Brooklyn due to receive letters soon.
If they are found to have leaking wastewater pipes, or ones discharging into the wrong council pipes, they can be ordered to fix them, individually costing up to an estimated $10,000.
“It is essentially becoming a blueprint for the city, and it could have impacts nationwide,” said southern ward councillor Fleur Fitzsimons, who lives near Ōwhiro Bay and has been involved in the ongoing pipes saga on Wellington’s south coast.