EQNZ Quake Update 130

0930hrs, 6 April 2011

Sewerage and water use
Heavy rain this week has placed additional pressure on the city's wastewater network. Christchurch City Council staff diverted the wastewater treatment plant into oxidation ponds on Tuesday to avoid sand filling the tanks and clogging pipes. The flows have since been diverted back through the plant, which is now operating at a manageable level and there is good progress to improve the capacity to process wastewater. Civil Defence urges ALL Christchurch residents to pull together and limit their water and toilet use. This effort needs to be doubled in light of the heavy rain:
Have a quick shower
Only use your dishwasher when it's full
Only use your washing machine when you have a full load
Flush your toilet sparingly.
Residents living in the worst hit areas can also help ease the pressure on the sewerage network by using chemical and portable toilets.

Water
People should keep boiling or treating all water before drinking, brushing teeth or using for food preparation until further notice.

Community meetings
The third round of Christchurch Community Earthquake Briefings will be held from Saturday 16 to Monday 18 April. They will include new information that is both city-wide and local and will be relevant even for those who have attended previous briefings. There will be a question and answer session following the briefing. . The briefings are being held at eight outdoor locations around Christchurch; refer to the timetable on www.canterburyearthquake.org.nz for details.

Business recovery clinics
A series of meetings, with support from the Canterbury Business Recovery Group, will be held for central city business owners from this Thursday 7 April. The clinics aim to help business owners with the information they need to make plans for recovering their business. More detailed information about these meetings will be announced shortly and this information will be available online at www.recovercanterbury.co.nz.

Roading
Heavy rain this week on earthquake damaged roads has caused isolated areas of minor surface flooding. Extreme care is advised. Check www.canterburyearthqauke.org.nz for road closures.

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