Residents from Wellington value the local environment and consider themselves to have an ecological responsibility. However, beaches still remain polluted, and streams affected by failing water systems and the town’s overall infrastructure, which seems to be more outdated if anything else.
Evidence of the waste, recent storms, and poor delivery of clean drinking water has worsened over months, reaching a point of severity that needs to be addressed. Especially since five million liters of wastewater had been dumped in the Wellington harbour, which contributed to worsening pollution in the sea, preventing swimming, as well as threatening marine life. Thus far, trucks full of waste-sludge has been removed from the water to prevent it from reaching freshwater resources, along with the surrounding sea. It has been transported to treatment facilities due to failed sewer pipes. As a result, local businesses have been severely disrupted with millions of liters of water leaking from the pipes, causing even more water to be lost.
A Worsening Situation for a Capable Town
Dozens of homes’ main water supply has also been cut off, while boxes of water supplies have been stacked outside of their gates to ensure they have a secondary option for the time being. Additionally, ongoing discharges in Houghton Bay, along with an excess fecal matter has washed out in Owhiro Bay, contributing to the overall pattern of issues at hand.
Now, since Wellington is considered to be a fairly developed, wealthy, and environmentally friendly city, many have wondered how matters could’ve got so out of hand so fast. Since the municipality has focused more on pollution in rural areas in recent years, it’s concerning to think that matters have escalated to the point where water has been switched off in certain areas. Blame is placed on councillors who are responsible for taking action against all matters related to water and are now urged to step up in the community to fix underlying water issues.
