Environmental sampling in the Kiririkiroa Stream shows water quality levels are returning to normal after a wastewater overflow and heavy rain earlier this week.

Hamilton City Council has been testing daily since the overflow overnight on Tuesday 14 May and tests will continue in coming days. A rahui remains in place and Council is liaising with mana whenua representatives.

Detailed investigations continue into the events that led to the overflow, which occurred when pumps at a Huntington pump station stopped operating, and remote warning systems did not alert of the pump outage. The capacity of an onsite storage tank was exceeded, and overflows made their way to the stream until the issue was identified and resolved in the morning.

Hamilton City Council Unit Director Three Waters Maire Porter says the investigation will review Tuesday’s incident and consider similar equipment elsewhere in the network.

“We take our responsibilities to our environment and our community very seriously. Unexpected events can happen but no wastewater overflow to our environment is ever acceptable. This review aims to reduce the risk of a similar event happening again.

“Our Three Waters teams deliver high quality water, wastewater, and stormwater services to 180,000 residents and thousands of visitors to Hamilton every day. We’re committed to protecting our environment, supporting public health, and enabling sustainable growth, while meeting our regulatory responsibilities.”

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