Wellington water woes: 'Media release might be a good idea'

Wellington Water is deferring lower level work while it deals with major pipeline failures. Photo / Georgina Campbell.

Leaked emails show Wellington's mayor and new city council boss coming under pressure to publicly front up as the capital's water woes reach "crisis" point.

A string of water failures over the past two months has prompted an outcry for answers, but it was only last week that mayor Andy Foster publicly swung into action.

He told the Herald he was confident he has been an effective leader over the issue, having been on the ground since day one getting his head around the problem.

Meanwhile, incoming council chief executive Barbara McKerrow told councillors in an email she was "stepping in" to provide clarity.

Move into damage control

Last Wednesday an urgent meeting was finally held between the council and Wellington Water, a press release was issued, and a mayoral taskforce was announced.

Emails directly before the move into damage control point to frustration over the lack of public response from the council up to that point.

More than a million litres of sludge is being transferred from Moa Point Treatment Plant every day after a wastewater pipeline failed. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

Councillor Diane Calvert pushed for the mayor and McKerrow to issue a joint statement on next steps "ASAP".

"Providing confidence to the public on activities underway is paramount," she wrote.

Calvert also wanted a briefing for councillors to bring everyone up to speed.

"A briefing asap (even if you don't have all the answers) would be desirable."

She was backed up by Labour ticket councillor Fleur Fitzsimons, a rare alliance.

Fitzsimons referred to an email she said she had sent 12 days ago, which raised questions about contamination at Owhiro Bay and had gone unanswered.

"There seems to be an aversion to informing Councillors about these matters, which needs to stop", she wrote.

She agreed with Calvert that it was time council leaders fronted up to the public.

"I really think a clear and public commitment to the next steps in investigating and addressing problems is needed."

A new pipeline is being trenched beneath Willis St after a wastewater tunnel collapsed before Christmas. Photo / Georgina Campbell.

Publicly, Calvert has labelled the situation a "civil emergency" and Fitzsimons an "infrastructure crisis".

Deputy mayor Sarah Free sent an email in response and agreed the situation was concerning and "a media release might be a good idea".

Incoming chief executive "steps in"

The emails were in response to one sent by incoming council chief executive Barbara McKerrow on February 16.

She said she fully understood the interest councillors had in Wellington Water, the state of the network and water quality, and she was "stepping in" to bring clarity to the situation.

McKerrow said she would be in a better position to brief councillors after she received advice regarding the operational working relationship between Wellington Water and the council.

"The working relationship between us is not as good as it should be and has a negative impact on our management and delivery. We want to put that right."

Mayor Andy Foster thanks workers dealing with the Willis St pipelines failure. Photo / Georgina Campbell.

In the meantime a briefing on current issues and service performance by Wellington Water chief executive Colin Crampton would be arranged, she said.

"I have also advised Colin that I wish to put in place a fulsome communication plan with clear protocols between our organisations so that we move from what appears to me to be a reactive state with the potential for confused messaging and too many people involved, to a better managed process of communication with the public, media and with us."

She noted a TV story was going to air that night in which Greater Wellington Regional Council chair Daran Ponter, City councillor Sean Rush and Crampton were all "involved".

Mayor confident in his leadership

Foster said he responded to the emails from councillors promptly by briefing them three days later, putting out a press release and moving on a mayoral task force.

Irrespective of the emails the council was working on a "range of media communications", he said.

Foster said he and McKerrow were working together to take "the right, calm, measured approach."

When asked whether the council had publicly responded quickly enough to the issue, Foster said they had been responding all the way through.

"I was down there day one talking with the staff trying to understand what the situation was, what the options were.

"I've been down several times since and that's talking not only with management but also with the guys who are actually doing the work on the ground."

Foster disagreed the council hadn't issued proactive media releases on the issue.

He told the Herald- "you might have missed them".

Wellington City Council issued one press release in December before things heated up last week to inform the public Willis St would be closed to traffic to address urgent water works.

Foster tweeted around this time but has posted almost nothing since about water on his Facebook or Twitter accounts until last week.

The same can be said for any press statements issued by Foster's office.

However, responsibility for water isn't exclusive to the council, Wellington Water has proactively issued press statements and updates, which WCC has posted on its Facebook and Twitter accounts.