Moa Point wastewater shortfall pipe may get reactivated at ‘short notice’ if rain forecast for Wellington arrives

Tuesday, 10 February 2026

Speaking after a meeting with the Prime Minister and Local Government Minister Simon Watts, Andrew Little says Wellington’s Moa Point sewage treatment plant needs an independent investigation.

Wellington Water says it may again need to use the short outfall pipe at Moa Point later this week, with rain in the forecast expected to increase wastewater flows into the failed treatment plant.

The short pipe, which discharges near Tarakena Bay, has not been used since 9pm on Thursday, February 5, Wellington Water said in a statement on Tuesday, but the agency confirmed the pipe may need to be reactivated “at short notice”, if flows surge during wet weather.

“Rainfall is forecast for the end of this week, which is likely to result in a discharge from the short outfall,” the update said.

MetService was forecasting southerlies to develop in the morning on Saturday, February 14, bringing some rain in the days ahead.

The Moa Point treatment plant continues to pump screened — but otherwise untreated — wastewater through its longer outfall pipe. While solids like wipes and sanitary products are removed, the water does not undergo biological or ultraviolet treatment.

Wellington Water said it was working to boost the capacity of the long outfall to avoid using the shorter one during heavy rain, however, with flooding damage still being assessed and 90% of the biological material only recently cleared, the plant is in the early stages of a prolonged recovery after disaster struck last week.

The Moa Point wastewater treatment plant that flooded on 4 February, 2026, sending untreated sewage out a shortfall pipe into Tarakena Bay

Hydrogen sulphide remains present inside the plant, making some areas hazardous, and odour levels outside remain high due to ventilation systems being offline, Wellington Water said in its Tuesday statement.

Odour-neutralising equipment and monitors were being deployed around the site.

Public health officials strongly advised against gathering shellfish or kai moana on the south coast beaches as they could remain contaminated for weeks after exposure to wastewater. They also continued to caution people against visiting the beaches, swimming, kayaking, or otherwise coming into contact with sea water or spray.

Water sampling on Sunday showed that the untreated wastewater initially discharged from the short outfall has dispersed from the area around Tarakena Bay.

There is no current evidence of discharge reaching the inner harbour, Wellington Water said in the statement.