Take action for nature: looking for leaks

We all need freshwater to survive, and the health of our freshwater ultimately determines how healthy we are as people.

One way we can look after our freshwater is by looking after the whole catchment, including the areas around the water. But what is a catchment?

A catchment is an area of land where rainfall flows into a common water source: for example, a lake, wetland, or estuary. For the Kaiwharawhara catchment, this begins at Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne and travels all the way to the only open estuary in Wellington Harbour.

While the water in Zealandia is full of life, it faces many challenges as it moves through the catchment out to sea. The stream is piped underground for some of the journey, and pollutants find their way into the water through things such as stormwater drains (the drains that run along our streets and roads), buried landfills, and faulty or ageing sewer systems. Heavy rain increases the risk of sewage overflow into streams and elsewhere in the environment.

In the Wellington Region, the water infrastructure, including sewerage systems, are owned by city councils and managed by Wellington Water Ltd. Wellington's water infrastructure is very long (2,757 km of pipes combined!), very old (often over 100 years old!), and leaks are common (44% of the region's drinking water is lost to leaks).

These sewage leaks cause significant harm to the environment and people. Wellington Water's repair teams often won't know about leaks unless they are reported.

If you suspect a sewage leak, please act fast! Take pictures, record the location and time, and report it on Wellington City Council's FIXit website or phone app or report it to Greater Wellington Regional Council at 0800 496 734 or info@gw.govt.nz.

Photo by Janice McKenna