Published 16/12/2016
Accolade for Wainuiomata River, Lower Hutt
The Wainuiomata River in Lower Hutt was judged the most improved river in the Wellington Region at the recent Rivers Awards.
The River Awards, run by the NZ Rivers Trust and the Morgan Foundation, recognise long-term improvement in waterways around the country.
One of the leading causes of poor water quality in rivers and streams is wastewater entering the waterway. Wellington Water and Hutt City Council have been working on improving the wastewater network in the urban Wainuiomata catchment since 2008. They’ve also been educating rural property owners about the maintenance needs of on-site wastewater systems.
Colin Crampton, Wellington Water’s Chief Executive says “We’ve worked hard on improving the water quality of the Wainuiomata River, and it’s wonderful that the hard work of our staff and contractors has been recognised.”
Wellington Water is inspecting approximately 8 kilometres of wastewater pipes in Wainuiomata annually to see which ones need repairing or replacing. Renewing wastewater pipes helps to improve river water quality by eliminating leaking joints that could be leading to pollution of the environment. Over the last nine years, approximately 8,145 metres of wastewater mains have been renewed in Wainuiomata as a result of these inspections.