Wellington, February 7: A significant sewage leak in New Zealand has raised serious environmental concerns. Local authorities have labeled the incident in Wellington’s waters as an “environmental disaster.” Repairs at the wastewater treatment plant may take several months. The situation is dire, prompting Wellington Water, the water service provider, to issue urgent guidelines.
Residents are advised to avoid swimming, collecting seafood, or walking their dogs on local beaches.
The leak was discovered on February 4, 2026, when severe malfunctions were reported at the Moa Point sewage treatment plant in Wellington. Approximately 70 million liters of untreated sewage water have been released into the sea.
According to Wellington Water, heavy rainfall on Wednesday caused flooding in the lower levels of the Moa Point plant, leading to a sewage backup in a 1.8-kilometer-long outfall pipe that typically discharges treated wastewater into Cook Strait.
As a result, untreated sewage began flowing into the waters off Wellington’s southern coast through a smaller five-meter outfall pipe.
Pat Doherty, CEO of Wellington Water, stated that nearly 70 million liters of raw wastewater have leaked. He expressed confusion over why the outfall pipe failed, noting, “The outfall pipeline’s capacity is greater than that of the treatment plant; it was designed to function under any circumstances.”
Wellington Mayor Andrew Little described the leak as a “terrible failure,” emphasizing that the sewage plant is responsible for processing waste from a major city and has completely failed in its duty.
On Friday morning, Wellington Water announced via a Facebook update that it has partially restored the operation of the long outfall pipe and screening system, which removes sanitary pads and wet wipes from the wastewater.
According to RNZ News, while the long outfall pipe has been partially restored, the smaller pipe will continue to be used during peak flow periods. This leak has raised health concerns as it affects the waters off Wellington’s southern coast.
In response to this disaster, officials have closed the southern coast beaches and warned residents to avoid swimming or collecting shellfish due to the risk of bacteria and viruses in the water.
Diving is a popular activity in Wellington, both as a hobby and a sport. However, concerns are now looming over this recreational pursuit.
Dave Drain, owner of Dive Wellington, told Otago Daily Times, “This will negatively impact us economically. News has spread, and people are saying they won’t learn to dive in Wellington, leading to cancellations of bookings.” He mentioned that 30 students in a nearby reserve have already been forced to cancel their planned dives.
