Cyclone Gabrielle: Water and wastewater updates

6pm

Muriwai customers

We’ve heard from Auckland Council this afternoon that changes will be made to the placard status of some of the homes impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle.

• If you’ve already been living in your property and you have water, this service will continue.
• If you haven’t been in your house but a change of status means you can now move back in, please be aware that the water is not yet connected. Until now, our crews have not been able to get into the area to assess any damage to our pipes.

Changes to the exclusion zone mean from tomorrow (Wednesday) we can assess the network for damage and start carrying out essential testing and maintenance. We think it will be at least 10 days before we can restore service to these properties.
In the meantime, we will bring back a tanker to provide emergency water from outside the Sand Dunz Beach Café. Residents will need to bring containers to fill up.

Our local water treatment plant in Muriwai remains red-stickered and is out of service. This means when we do restore service, it will be with an extension to the temporary solution that’s currently supplying water to occupied properties on our network. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]

Recovery mode - outstanding issues

11am

Water supply network

Water treatment (sources and plants)

• We have identified 17 issues in our water catchment areas caused by landslips. Three of these issues concern damage to our watermains. The rest concern damage to roads and accessways as well as land instability.
• We have identified issues at three operational water treatment plants: Huia, Muriwai and Pukekohe. We have also identified issues at our Onehunga plant; however, this was taken out of service in 2022.
  • Huia: This plant is running at reduced capacity because the water entering the plant from the dams has high turbidity (dirtiness) which makes it harder to treat.
  • Muriwai: This plant has been red stickered. We are unable to carry out a full assessment until geotechnical work is carried out in the area. We are using large water tankers to directly feed the local network, so our customers have water flowing through their taps. This issue is a priority for our recovery team.
  • Pukekohe: This plant was severely flooded and requires significant repair work. For example, the electrical control equipment was destroyed, and the tanks were filled with sediment. Our customers have water flowing through their taps because we can supply them with water from the Waikato Water Treatment Plant.

Water distribution (network)

• We have identified 13 issues in our water network caused by landslides. While normal pipe breaks can be repaired relatively quickly, pipe breaks caused by landslides are challenging. This is because the land in which the pipes were buried has slipped away or is unstable. We have responded by reconfiguring our networks (e.g. changing how the water gets from A to B) or by installing temporary overland pipes. There are overland pipes at locations in west and north Auckland. Our temporary solutions mean that customers have safe drinking water flowing through their taps.

Wastewater network

Wastewater treatment (plants)

• The heater room at Rosedale Wastewater Treatment was flooded, damaging the boiler and associated motors.

Wastewater collection (network)

• We have identified 83 issues in our wastewater collection network: 68 relate to pipes in west and north Auckland, and 15 relate to pump stations in north Auckland.
• As with the water pipes, the wastewater pipes broke due to landslides and are challenging to fix. Where possible, we have installed temporary pipes to bypass the broken sections. These involve running flexible hoses between manholes, with pumps and generators supporting the operations. While they prevent wastewater overflows, there may be odour issues. There may also be noise issues, associated with the pumps and generators. Where it is not possible to install temporary pipes, there are overflows into the environment. Currently, there 12 locations in north Auckland with active overflows. We have reported these overflows to Auckland Council.
• By design, our pump stations are in low-lying areas. During the January storm, 15 were severely flooded. This damaged their switchboards and pumps. While they are currently operational, extensive repairs are required. We will inspect all pump stations over the coming months to ensure all issues are identified.

What is our plan for addressing the outstanding issues?

While our operations team has focused on identifying issues and implementing temporary solutions, our infrastructure team has focused on standing up a dedicated recovery team. This is now in place, with executive support.
 
Over the next few years, this team will fully scope and deliver a recovery programme. Based on initial estimates – which have been provided to Auckland Council – it will cost at least $250 million to repair our networks. They may also take the opportunity to adapt our networks, so that it is more resilient to climate change and extreme weather events. It is unlikely they will be able to replace all broken assets with like-for-like infrastructure. For example, if a large section of pipe was washed away in a landslide, it’s unlikely it can be replaced. That’s because the land has also been washed away. They will need to scope, consent, and implement a different solution – which takes time.
 
While some permanent repair work is already underway, the full programme will be prioritised based on customer and environmental impact. For example, a broken wastewater pipe will be prioritised over a minor repair at a treatment plant. This is because the broken wastewater pipe is more likely to have an adverse impact on our customers and/or environment.
 
We expect to work collaboratively with other agencies carrying out repair work – such as Auckland Transport and Chorus – to ensure we minimise disruption to communities. This will also influence how and when we deliver our programme.

4pm

Water supply

Water is back on for our Muriwai customers. It’s all thanks to some hard mahi by our team and a nifty temporary solution that sees a water tanker store water just like a reservoir. Water is then pumped back into the network using a mobile pump station. Our team will keep the tanker topped up so the supply keeps flowing. A major landslide caused by Cyclone Gabrielle took out our Muriwai Water Treatment Plant and up until now we’ve been supplying the community with water thanks to a tanker outside Sand Dunz Café. With water now flowing back into the network we have one request for our Muriwai customers: While we investigate the state of our treatment plant and network, please be mindful of your water use – keep showers to four minutes, only use your dishwasher and washing machine when full, and please turn off the tap when you’re brushing your teeth. Thanks for your support.

1pm

Water supply

Muriwai

Currently a tanker is located at Sand Dunz Cafe and is providing emergency water to the community. Containers are encouraged to pop by with empty bottles/containers and fill up free of charge. Our plan to set-up a temporary water supply is progressing well, and we hope to complete it by Friday 24 February. Tanker services will remain in place until this is operational.

Waitākere

We flew resources in by helicopter yesterday to fix the leak on our Waitākere raw watermain, which supplies water from Waitākere Dam to the Waitākere Water Treatment Plant. The repair should be completed by Friday 17 February. However, a new fault was identified and will require the pipeline shutdown for 2-3 days over the next couple weeks to complete repairs. This will not impact customers.

We continue to experience high turbidity (dirtiness), however, we are managing the water supply to meet demand.

Other water supply updates

• Tap water remains safe to drink.

• Water supply across all sites has been restored except Muriwai.

Wastewater network

• Our wastewater treatment plants are being closely monitored and are stable.

• Our wastewater networks have mostly recovered from the cyclone.

• We are working through known wastewater network failures that have arisen due to landslides during the floods. There are approximately 15 sites where wastewater is being discharged directly to the environment through broken pipes, the majority of which are on the North Shore and one in west Auckland.

1pm

Water supply

Muriwai
Our infrastructure has been impacted, by the landslides. The water treatment plant remains offline and the water storage reservoir is now empty. A tanker is providing emergency water to customers and is located at Sand Dunz Cafe. Customers can pop by with containers and top up with water for free. Our temporary supply plan is progressing, and we hope to complete it by the end of next week, Friday 24 February. Tanker services will remain until this is operational.

Wellsford
Our treatment plant is back online and is operating 24/7. We are working on filling the reservoir to a resilient level, so we still need people to use water wisely.

Helensville
The quality of the water in the dam has been impacted by the storm and this makes it hard to treat to an acceptable standard. The pump station associated with the stream was impacted by flooding and lost power. The flooding is now subsiding, and mains power restored, we are working on getting the source back into service. Our water treatment plant is operational; however, we will keep tankers in the area till this evening (Friday 17 February) in case we experience any processing issues due to turbidity (dirtiness) levels and to help replenish the reservoir. This means people living in the area have water. However, we still need people to use water wisely.

Waitākere

• We have identified a leak on our Waitākere raw watermain, which supplies water from Waitākere Dam to the Waitākere Water Treatment Plant. There is still enough water to supply the plant.

• We flew resources in by helicopter yesterday and the leak repair should be completed soon. However, a new pipe fault was identified and will require the pipeline shutdown for 2-3 days over next week to complete repairs. This will not impact customers.

• We continue to experience high turbidity (dirtiness), however we are managing the water supply to meet demand.

Wastewater network

• Our wastewater treatment plants are being closely monitored and are stable.

• Our wastewater networks have mostly recovered from the cyclone.

• We are working through known wastewater network failures that have arisen due to landslides during the floods. There are approximately 15 sites where wastewater is being discharged directly to the environment through broken pipes.

• The Castor Bay wastewater issue impacting 70-80 properties has had a temporary solution installed yesterday (Wednesday 15 February).

• The Belmont Branch Sewer has been repaired temporarily (Thursday 16 February).

6pm

Water supply

Waitākere
We have identified a leak on our Waitākere raw watermain, which supplies water from Waitākere Dam to the Waitākere Water Treatment Plant. There is still enough water to supply the plant. We have had resources flown in by helicopter to access the site and work has been progressing well, we hope to have it fixed this evening. The plant, however, has been offline today due to turbidity (dirtiness). This will hopefully be resolved on Friday 17 February.

Wellsford
Access to site was established on Wednesday 15 February after slips and flooding caused access/safety issues. The recommissioning work went well today, and the plant is back online (Thursday 16 February). We are in the process of refilling the reservoir over the next 24-48 hours. The site is still experiencing communication issues, however, we are doing our best to manage this. Customers living in the area have water and they are encouraged to use it wisely.

Wastewater network

• We are working through known wastewater network failures that have arisen due to landslides during the floods. There are approximately 15 sites where wastewater is being discharged directly to the environment through broken pipes, the majority of which are on the North Shore and one in West Auckland. Some of these sites are complex, so we are working with the impacted customers on potential solutions.
• The Castor Bay wastewater issue impacting 70-80 properties has had a temporary solution installed yesterday (Wednesday 15 February).
• The Belmont Branch Sewer has a temporary repair due for completion by Friday 17 February.

11am

Water supply

• Tap water remains safe to drink.
• The quality of the water in our dams and rivers has been affected by the January storm and Cyclone Gabrielle. The level of turbidity (dirtiness) has risen due to landslides. This is limiting the volume of water we can treat. To date, customer demand has been below our production limit. With fine weather on its way, it is likely that demand will rise.

Muriwai
The site was assessed Wednesday 15 February, under Fire and Emergency New Zealand escort. Our infrastructure has been impacted, the major issue is that the plant is directly in front of the major landslide that occurred, so it is not safe to be on-site. The water treatment plant is offline and the water storage reservoir is now empty. A tanker is now providing emergency water and is located at Sand Dunz Cafe. Customers will need to bring containers to transport the water.

We are scoping medium-term solutions to restore supply to the area. We may install a water tank and pump to feed the network. This tank will be topped up using tankers. The interim solution may take a couple of weeks to stand up. Until then, our only option is to have tankers supplying emergency water.

Wellsford
Access to site was established on Wednesday 15 February after slips and flooding caused access/safety issues. The plant continues to be offline but recommissioning work is in progress today. In the meantime, there is water in the reservoir and tankers on standby to top it up, if required. This means customers living in the area have water. They are encouraged to use it wisely.

Wastewater network

• Our wastewater treatment plants are being closely monitored and are stable.

• Our wastewater networks have mostly recovered from the cyclone. We are now fixing issues remaining from the January storm and we are proactively inspecting assets.

• Our pro-active survey of customers in areas that were severely impacted by the recent weather events to uncover issues that we are not aware of continues.

• We have put temporary overland pumping in place at the site of a broken wastewater pipe in Belmont. We hope to fix the pipe next week if we can organise access with private property owners.

• ​We have identified a break in a public wastewater pipe in Castor Bay that serves 70 to 80 properties. Crews continue to assess the damage and complete a repair.

1.30pm

Water supply

Muriwai

This morning, staff were able to access the site briefly to assess damage, with the support of the Fire and Emergency New Zealand. While they can see our infrastructure has been impacted, the major issue is that the plant is directly in front of the major landslide that occurred, so it is not safe to be on-site. The water treatment plant is offline and the water storage reservoir is now empty. A tanker is on its way to the area to provide emergency water - we expect it to be operating from 3pm. We will publish its location here. Customers will need to bring containers to transport the water. We are scoping medium-term solutions to restore supply to the area. We may install a water tank and pump to feed the network. This tank will be topped up using tankers. NOTE: the interim solution may take a couple of weeks to stand up. Until then, our only option is to have tankers supplying emergency water.

Helensville

The treatment plant receives water from two sources: a dam and a stream. The quality of the water in the dam that supplies the treatment plant was impacted by the storm. This makes it hard to treat to an acceptable standard. The pump station associated with the stream was impacted by flooding and lost power. The flooding is now subsiding and we are working on getting the source back into service. In the meantime, we are filling up the local water storage reservoirs using tankers. This means people living in the area have water. They are encouraged to use it wisely.

Wellsford

The plant is offline, however, we may be able to restart it later today. In the meantime, there is water in the reservoir and tankers on standby to top it up, if required. This means people living in the area have water. They are encouraged to use it wisely.

Other water supply updates

• Work to reconfigure the water supply network in west Auckland is now complete. There were no discoloured water complaints from customers. This means that people living in Titirangi, Konini, Oratia and Glen Eden can return to using water normally – they no longer need to save water.

​Wastewater network

• Our wastewater networks have mostly recovered from the cyclone. We are now fixing issues remaining from the January storm and we are proactively inspecting assets. Today and tomorrow, we will survey customers in areas that were severely impacted by the recent weather events to uncover issues that we are not aware of.

10am

Water supply

• Last night, power was restored in Birkenhead and our Verrans Corner water pump station resumed service. This means that water pressure in the area has returned to normal.

• As planned, we are currently carrying out work to reconfigure the water supply network in west Auckland. This will address the damage to our watermain on Scenic Drive caused by the storm in late January. There is a risk this work will discolour the water temporarily. However, we are continuing to carry out flushing to minimise this risk. The work will be completed today. 

• The quality of the water in our dams and rivers has been affected by the January storm and Cyclone Gabrielle. The level of turbidity (dirtiness) has risen due to landslides. Therefore, we are carefully managing our water sources and treatment plants.

• Muriwai: Today, our staff will have the opportunity to assess some of the damage to the treatment plant and reservoir. We believe it could be extensive.​

Wastewater network

• Our wastewater treatment plants are being closely monitored and are stable.

• Our large wastewater pump stations and pipes are functioning, with no overflows. We are continuing to work with Vector to restore power to some smaller pump stations.

• We have identified a break in a public wastewater pipe in Castor Bay that serves 70 to 80 properties. We will send a crew today to assess the damage and plan a repair.

• We have put temporary overland pumping in place at the site of a broken wastewater pipe in Belmont. We hope to fix the pipe next week if we can organise access with private property owners.

8pm

Water supply

• We are experiencing challenging conditions at our Helensville Water Treatment Plant and are relying on tankering water to maintain reservoir levels. Therefore, we are still encouraging residents to reduce their water use. We still have not been able to access our Wellsford and Muriwai water treatment plants, and they remain offline. We expect water outages in Wellsford and Muriwai this evening and tomorrow morning, and have contacted customers in this area by text to let them know. We have booked five tankers to serve Wellsford customers tomorrow morning, provided the road is open. We also hope to have a tanker in Muriwai. Tanker locations will be on our website. People will need to bring containers for collecting water.

• Huia Village, Snells Beach and Warkworth water treatment plants are now operational again.

• A power outage in Birkenhead is currently affecting our Verrans Corner pump station. About 1,500 properties are experiencing low water pressure. However we have a generator arriving later this evening, so any impact will be shortlived.

Wastewater network

• Earlier today 38 of our smaller network pump stations were overflowing. This is now down to 17 – most of which are currently inaccessible. We’ll work with the relevant authorities to address these when power and access is restored. To put this in perspective, we have more than 500 wastewater pump stations around Auckland.

• We have put temporary overland pumping in place at the site of a broken wastewater pipe in Belmont. We hope to fix the pipe next week if we can organise access with private property owners.

3pm

Key issues we are facing

• Telecommunications outages: We have over 1,000 sites spread across Auckland. We rely on telecommunications systems to have visibility of these sites. In some instances, we can control these sites remotely from our central nerve centre and regional control rooms. Currently, we have lost visibility and remote control of some sites. For example, several wastewater pump stations.

• Road access: We are unable to access some sites due to roading and flooding issues.

• Power outages

11am

Weather

• Auckland was battered by strong wind and heavy rain overnight, causing power and communications outages, surface flooding and slips.

• Rain: From Sunday until now, significant rain has fallen in the Waitākere and Hūnua ranges:

  • 280mm of rain was recorded in our highest Waitākere rain gauge

  • 200mm of rain was recorded in our highest Hūnua rain gauge.

• The red rain warning has now expired, with the rainband now clear of Auckland.

• Wind: Auckland has seen severe gales over the past three days, and these are not yet done. We can expect severe southwest gales to continue through until about midnight tonight, with a red wind warning still in force.

Water supply

• Tap water remains safe to drink.

• Cyclone Gabrielle has caused widespread power and communications outages, impacting our water treatment plants:

  • Helensville: A power outage is affecting both the Mangakura Dam and the treatment plant. While there is a generator at the plant, we are having to connect a generator at the dam.

  • Muriwai: Power and communications outages are affecting the treatment plant.

  • Wellsford: Power and communications outages are affecting the treatment plant. We have sent a crew this morning to restart the plant, using the generator if necessary.

  • Huia Village: Yesterday, we took the plant offline due to a process failure. We have sent a crew to restart the plant.

Wastewater network

• Our wastewater treatment plants are being closely monitored and are stable.

• Power and communications outages are affecting several of our pump stations. We are working to remedy this.

Customers services

• Our customer service channels are operating as normal.

2pm

Weather

• Rainfall is likely to increase in intensity from 3pm this afternoon until 3am on Tuesday.

• Wind is hard to forecast but we expect it to peak overnight before swinging around to a southerly from 11am on Tuesday.

• Tuesday’s southerlies are expected to increase during the day with gusts between 100-120 km/hr across the region.

Water supply

• Tap water remains safe to drink.

• Cyclone Gabrielle has had little impact our water supply operations (1pm, Monday 13 Feb). Two smaller water treatment plants (Helensville and Snells Beach) are offline due to power outages. We are in the process of switching to generators. There are no customer impacts because of the plants being offline.

• On Wednesday, we’re planning to put in place a solution that addresses the damage to our watermain on Scenic Drive caused by the storm in late January. As it involves changing the direction of flow in some of our larger pipes, there is a high likelihood that it will stir up sediment – harmless mineral deposits like iron and manganese – and discolour the water. We have communicated this risk to customers in affected suburbs. Read our media release. Today, we are carrying out flushing in the transmission network to minimise the likelihood of discoloured water. Until we implement the solution outlined, we are continuing to ask customers in Titirangi, Konini, Oratia and parts of Glen Eden to save water. Click for key messages that you can share.

• The water in our dams in the Waitākere Ranges were affected by landslides during the earlier storm. The level of turbidity (dirtiness) makes it harder for the local treatment plants to process. However, all water entering supply continues to meet drinking water standards. Soil saturation remains high so there remains a risk of further slips into our dams or near our key assets.

Wastewater network

• We have identified a break in a public wastewater pipe in Castor Bay that serves 70 to 80 properties. We are unable to fix the break during the cyclone but plan to send a crew on Wednesday. In the meantime, we have notified Auckland Council’s pollution control and SafeSwim.

Customer services

• Our customer service channels are operating as normal.

3pm

Weather

• Auckland is under a red heavy rain warning until 4am on Tuesday.

• Auckland will be under a red strong wind warning from 4pm today until 9pm on Tuesday.

• There is a significant risk of storm surges at high tide on Monday and Tuesday.

• Already, wind gusts over 100km/hr have been recorded around Whangaparaoa, with 80km/hr on the Harbour Bridge.

Water supply network

• Cyclone Gabrielle has not had an impact our water supply operations yet.

• Tap water remains safe to drink.

• On Wednesday, we’re planning to put in place a solution that addresses the damage to our watermain on Scenic Drive caused by the storm in late January. As it involves changing the direction of flow in some of our larger pipes, there is a high likelihood that it will stir up sediment – harmless mineral deposits like iron and manganese – and discolour the water. We have communicated this risk to customers in affected suburbs. Read our media release.

  • Until we implement the solution outlined above, we are continuing to ask customers in Titirangi, Konini, Oratia and parts of Glen Eden to save water. Click for key messages that you can share.

​Wastewater network

• Cyclone Gabrielle has had little impact on our wastewater collection and treatment operations yet (3pm, Sunday 12 Feb). Two pump stations are running on generators. There were no environmental impacts as the pump stations were able to store the wastewater until the generators were up and running.

Customer services

• Our customer service channels are operating as normal.

Tap water across Auckland remains safe to drink. You do not need to boil it.

Please use our chatbot or online form to report all water and wastewater issues. The form and chatbot can be found by clicking here.

If you're concerned about a stormwater (rainwater) issue or flooding is affecting a public asset such as manholes, drains, ponds, wetlands or roads, please call 09 301 0101 or click here to get in touch with our friends at Auckland Council. 

Please do not venture outside to wade or play in floodwaters. Please stay away from all beaches and waterways that are black flagged, as there is the potential for wastewater contamination.

No. Some excellent mahi by our crews and contractor mean customers living in Titirangi, Konini, Oratia and Glen Eden can return to using water normally. Our team's work to reconfigure the water supply network in West Auckland is now complete.

Please contact your insurer.