Havelock North resident Fleur Verhoeven looks over what is left of a huge puddle in her front yard after a main pipe burst on Middle Rd. Photo / Duncan Brown
Havelock North residents say a burst water main that flowed out through the night, flooding properties on Middle Rd, is not an isolated occurrence.
Middle Rd homeowner Rex Bartlett said at 8.45am on Thursday there was six inches of water around his guest shed.
"It's being going on all night ... The carports, sheds and garden are flooded. There is muddy water everywhere.
"The water has nowhere to go, up the culvert and into our property. It's just bad infrastructure."
The Hastings District Council had shut off water on Middle Rd and Porter Dr by 9am. The problem was fixed and water restored by 1.30pm.
Bartlett said it was not the first time it had happened on the street, and something needed to be done to fix it permanently.
"This happens every year but not as bad. There was one incident (earlier this year) two doors down.
"I've called the council a couple of times. They said they called the duty officer. Nothing has happened so far."
Another Middle Rd tenant, former The Bachelor NZ winner Fleur Verhoeven, said her driveway was also flooded by the burst pipe.
"We have some steps going up to the house, so the water did not reach critical level.
"If there is something the council can do it'd be great, but unfortunately these things happen. There is no one to blame. The council is doing its best."
A Hastings District Council spokesperson said there had been four burst water mains overall, in the vicinity of Village Apartment, Middle Rd, since 2014.
"Since 2014 our records show there have been two faults on the smaller lateral pipes heading into the property and three faults on the lateral pipes to the kindergarten across the road."
According to the spokesperson, the cause of water main and other pipe failures were investigated.
"There is a programme of repairs that take place and if there's a history of failures the council looks to replacement as a possible remedy."
'It is a much more efficient way of getting twice as many apples using a lot less water.'