Work on Paekākāriki stormwater pipe on hold

With the main upgrade work on a Paekākāriki stormwater pipe completed in July, the Kāpiti Coast District Council has decided further, non-critical parts of the project will remain on hold for now.

The council immediately stopped work on the stormwater pipe on Tilley Road when an oily substance was discovered in Wainui Stream which the pipe discharges into. At the time, the substance was thought to be the non-toxic vegetable oil used as a lubricant to help line the pipe.

Two independent ecological assessments of the stream at the time of the investigation raised no issues of concern and results of samples taken from the stream showed levels of oil/grease at less than 1 part per million.

In its own investigation, Greater Wellington Regional Council concluded there was not enough evidence to “prove the source of the discharge” and that they would not pursue the matter further.

They did ask that if similar work is carried out in future, steps be taken “to physically check and sign off that the stormwater network is isolated from the environment during upgrade works” and that any “new pipeline is clear of contaminants before the discharge point is reopened”.

Contractual issues resulted in the Kāpiti Coast District Council removing the original contractor from the job and Council is exploring alternative options for completing the work.