A Wellington man resorted to digging a trench to stop a water leak from damaging his property during a three-month wait for it to be fixed by Wellington Water. Video / Supplied
A burst watermain on one of Wellington’s main commuter routes is starting to cause problems for nearby businesses and residents.
Motorists have been asked to avoid Kent Terrace since early this morning when the burst main flooded the road between Vivian St and Buckle St.
Travellers needing to get to or from the airport are being advised to drive via Oriental Bay rather than through the Mt Victoria tunnel.
In an update just before 10am, Wellington Water said a shutdown of water in the area had been extended and was likely to impact businesses in Courtenay Place, Kent Terrace and Cambridge Terrace.
Elevated properties in Mount Victoria, Roseneath and Hataitai are also impacted.
Kent Terrace runs parallel to Cambridge Terrace and is a main arterial route connecting Wellington city with the Mount Victoria tunnel, and past the Basin Reserve to Newtown.
KENT TERRACE, WELLINGTON CENTRAL - BURST PIPE AFFECTING TRAFFIC
Update 2
Crews are investigating reports of no service or low water pressure in higher areas of Roseneath. This may also affect areas of Mt Victoria. We’ll provide more information as the investigation continues.
Wellington’s water pipes have hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons over the past few years, plagued by leaks, overflows and burst watermains.
Wellington Water says some pipes are 120 years old and deteriorating in combination with blockages from wet wipes, fats and oils.
The ‘ideal renewal rate’ for the water authority is to replace 100 kilometres of pipes every year.
But last year it was revealed only 18km had been replaced in the 2022/23 period to July.
At the time Wellington Water chief executive Tonia Haskell admitted they were behind and laid the blame for that partly on councils not investing enough money in the problem.