Civil Defence Emergency Management is urging people to conserve water to help ease the pressure on Levin’s Water Treatment Plant, as high turbidity (muddiness) forces the plant to temporarily shut down.

Mayor Bernie Wanden urges the community to take care and stay off the roads unless travel is essential and to conserve water immediately. “With more heavy rain scheduled over the weekend, the Ōhau River is being affected by high turbidity. It’s important that we all work together to ease the pressure on our drinking water supply, by conserving our water usage.”

Weather forecast

A severe thunderstorm watch is in place for Horowhenua-Kāpiti from 6.00am Saturday 11 June to 6pm Sunday 12 June. Expect persistent rainfall approaching warning criteria across the Horowhenua and in the Tararua Range over the next couple of days.

Infrastructure

Our wastewater network is processing three times the normal inflow. While it is coping with the additional strain, we have had reports of isolated incidents. If you have any concerns about wastewater infiltration, please contact us immediately on 06 366 0999.

· Levin Water Treatment plant is offline due to high turbidity (muddiness of water). Water storage capacity is at 69%.

· Tokomaru Water Treatment plant is offline due to high turbidity. A water tanker is onsite to supplement water as required.

· Shannon, Foxton and Foxton Beach Water Treatment plants are running and at capacity.

Power supply

Electra linesman have restored power supply to 32 of the 33 lines across the Kāpiti-Horowhenua Area. Linesman are working to restore rural transformers impacted by lightning strikes earlier in the day. Electra spokesperson Baden Berry urges the community to keep away from any surface flooding or puddles as there may be electrical equipment hidden from sight. Currently 84 properties across Kāpiti-Horowhenua are without power. Visit outages.electra.co.nz for regular updates.

Roading

Waka Kotahi NZTA have an area warning in place for SH57 from Levin to Koputaroa and Potts Road until further notice due to surface flooding. Visit journeys.nzta.govt.nz for State Highway updates.

Sucker trucks and sandbags have been deployed to the following locations, with traffic management in place for several areas across the district –

· MacArthur Street

· Byrd Street

· Fairfield Road

· Burn Street

· Okarito Avenue

· Kawiu Road

· Kimberley Road/Speldhurst East

· Goldsmith Crescent

· Wakefield Road

· Matai Street

· Bishops Road, Ōhau

· Edinburgh Street

· Highbury Drive

· CD Farm Road

· Cambridge Street

· Argyle Avenue

· Kennedy Drive

· Oxford Street Businesses

· Beechwood Avenue

· Easton Way/Lynch Grove

· Buller Road, Ōhau

Road closures

· Trig Road

If you or your property require immediate support please call 111. For less urgent support please call Council on 06 366 0999.

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