Wellington Water and Porirua City Council will be providing weekly updates of leaks around the city – you may have seen these on the Council’s Facebook page, along with billboards and attention in the media. Transparency is key.
The emphasis from Wellington Water – who work on behalf of the region’s councils – is “we’re working on it”. They are fully aware of the frustration that leaks cause the public, but, due to a tight labour market, they simply can’t fix them all at once.
There is a priority system for fixing leaks, coming down to how much water is being lost and the effect on the water supply. This will dictate how quickly Wellington Water will attend, and repair, the many leaks around the region – 124 leaks were fixed in Porirua in February, of which 34 were in the final week of that month.
The older the pipes, the more likely leaks will occur. Some pipes are more than 100 years old. It has been acknowledged across New Zealand that ageing infrastructure will be a burden on councils for years to come.
Wellington Water’s website has a handy job status map, which shows reported leaks right down to suburbs and streets.
To find out how to report leaks, go to wellingtonwater.co.nz or call Porirua City Council on 04 237 5089 or use the Antenno App.
14 Mar 2023
