Adedokun Waliyu 
The mayor of New Zealand’s capital took a public swim in a bid to calm fears after a wastewater treatment breakdown led to millions of litres of raw sewage being discharged into the ocean and sprayed onto nearby homes.
The incident occurred after a failure at the Moa Point wastewater treatment plant on February 4, which resulted in untreated sewage flowing into waters off Wellington’s south coast beaches. In response to growing public anger, Wellington Mayor Andrew Little entered the surf wearing swimming trunks and a rash guard shirt to demonstrate that the water was now considered relatively safe.
Little acknowledged that some risk remained but said monitoring results so far showed the level of danger was low, leaving it to residents to decide whether to swim or fish. The Wellington City Council had earlier advised the public to avoid recreational water activities due to health concerns.
The situation worsened when a storm struck the city, generating swells of up to seven metres that carried contaminated sea spray onto coastal homes. Residents reported finding brown residue coating their properties, describing the situation as unpleasant and unhygienic.
Wellington Water, which manages the Moa Point facility, said experts from Australia had been brought in to investigate the cause of the breakdown, though the exact problem remains unclear. The utility added that odour from the plant continues to be a concern as clean-up efforts proceed.
Mayor Little said a major repair would be required to fully restore the facility, thanking residents and businesses for their patience. He described the recent progress as a turning point but stressed that significant work still lies ahead before the issue is fully resolved.
