Moa Point Wastewater incident - Information hub
Wellington Water is responding to a significant incident at the Moa Point Wastewater Treatment Plant which has resulted in untreated wastewater discharging into the sea on the south coast of Wellington.
Latest updates
Regular updates regarding the Moa Point Wastewater Treatment Plant incident.
Water sampling
Results of water sampling taken around the Moa Point Wastewater Treatment Plant short outfall pipe and southern coast beaches.
Moa Point inquiry
Wellington Water fully supports an inquiry into the incident at Moa Point Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Current Status
As expected, the wet weather has caused an increase in network flows, some of which has been diverted to the short outfall. The short outfall was in use between 10:30pm and 1:30am last night (15th February).
The short outfall began to be used again this morning at approximately 10am. Due to the weather conditions, we expect the short outfall to be used intermittently for at least the next 24 hours. Screened wastewater is being discharged through the long outfall, and unscreened wastewater through the short outfall. The majority of the flow is being discharged through the long outfall.
The wet weather has also made it hazardous for sampling, and planned beach patrols. To keep our people safe, sampling and patrols have been called off and will resume tomorrow.
Workers are onsite at Moa Point, continuing to assess the damage, work to manage odour, and manage network flows.
The low-to-no levels of hydrogen sulphide observed on site and the strong winds mean that low odour is expected around the plant and in the surrounding community. However, increased odour is an ongoing concern and our work to reduce the risk of odour continues.
Public Health Advice
- Do not swim, dive, fish or collect kai moana/shellfish. Do not walk dogs on the beach or come into contact with sea water.
- Discharge from the short outfall bypasses the screening process, meaning the discharge would include solid material such as wipes and period products. It would also mean wastewater is entering the ocean much closer to shore.
- The combination of rain and strong southerly winds may increase the likelihood of untreated wastewater being pushed towards the shoreline.
- As expected, due to the weather conditions, we are starting to see some high levels of Enterococcus (bacteria) in the sampling results.
- Rain effects the water quality across all of Wellington due to discharge from the rivers which are affected by pollutants from rural and urban run-off.
- Frequently asked questions regarding sea spray have been answered by public health officials, and are available on our website, please scroll down to the Public Health FAQs section.
- The sampling results from Sunday 15 February will be available Tuesday 17 February, these will provide more information regarding any changes which may have taken place due to the weather.
Frequently asked questions
What has happened at Moa Point?
Wellington Water is responding to a significant incident at the Moa Point Wastewater Treatment Plant which has resulted in untreated wastewater discharging through the short outfall pipe into Tarakena Bay, on Wellington’s south coast.
The discharge begun at approximately 1am Wednesday morning, 4 February 2026, which led to the plant needing to be shut down completely.
What is being done about it?
The plant was shut down fully and remains shut. Our immediate focus has been to divert as much wastewater as possible to the long outfall pipe. Screening has resumed to remove items like sanitary pads and wet wipes from the wastewater being discharged.
Being able to discharge partially screened wastewater out to sea via the 1.8km long outfall pipe will allow for greater dilution of the wastewater in the Cook Strait, rather than untreated wastewater flowing around the coastline.
We are maintaining our public information communications on a daily basis, utilising all our channels; website, mainstream media, social media, and through the Wellington City Council’s communications channels.
Signs have been posted along the coastline as well as on the beach with additional, large signs including VMS boards in place.
Staff have been out along the coastal suburbs dropping flyers at shops and in mailboxes, with beachgoers, answering questions and sharing public health messages.
Staff volunteers will continue to alert people onsite at beaches over the coming days.
Mana whenua has placed a rāhui on the whole area. This affects any area that is touched by the sea, including at low or high tide. Community groups and event organisers have been contacted and advised of the issue with the strong recommendation to stay away from the beaches and to respect the rāhui.
What areas are affected?
- Tarakena Bay
- Breaker Bay
- Lyall Bay
- Houghton Bay
- Island Bay
- Ōwhiro Bay
- Princess Bay
View a map of the affected areas
What active remediation (water testing, sediment cleanup, protection of marine life) is being done after each event, rather than just advising people to stay out of the water?
A number of actions have already been taken, and our efforts will be ongoing.
Crews are still assessing the impact of flooding on the plant’s equipment and operations. This assessment will take some time, and we expect an extended outage at the plant.
An investigation of the long outfall pipe has been completed and there are no issues with it. Focus remains on increasing the volume of wastewater flow through the long outfall pipe as much as possible. The long outfall pipe is 1.8km in length, about 1km offshore from the nearest part of the coast to the west. Wastewater is now being screened and the discharged through this pipe. This allows for greater dilution of the wastewater in the Cook Strait, rather than untreated wastewater flowing around the coastline.
Shoreline inspections and clean-up of debris on the coastline continue three times daily, with a focus on completing these at low tide.
Water sampling is being undertaken every 24 hours and is being published.
Where do I go for advice on whether it is safe to swim?
The best source of information is the LAWA website. https://www.lawa.org.nz/explore-data/wellington-region
I’ve been in the water recently at a South Coast beach and now feel unwell, what should I do and where do I go for advice?
Do not swim in or collect or eat kai moana from the affected coastal waters.
If you have been exposed to the water and develop symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, cough, rash, irritation of the ears, nose or throat, seek medical attention and inform the healthcare provider of your possible contact with sewage.
Healthline is a free over-the phone health service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0800 611 116.
When can I use the South Coast beaches for recreational activities?
It is strongly recommended everyone stays away from the sea and beaches along the south coast of Wellington until further notice.
Is it safe to swim in Wellington’s Harbour and other swimming spots such as Haitaitai and Oriental Bay?
The best source of information for safe swimming areas is the LAWA website.
I am concerned about the potential health and environmental impacts of this discharge. Where should I go for official advice?
Some advice is available on the Greater Wellington Regional Council website. Regular updates on the issue are available on our social media page.
We are undertaking water sampling tests and results will be published each day on our website.
Shoreline inspections and clean-up of debris on the coastline around the short outfall continue three times daily, with a focus on completing these at low tide.
When will the plant be fixed by, and resume normal operations?
This incident is serious and will take time to fix. It is likely to take several weeks and possibly months. It is recommended all members of the public follow advice and stay off the beaches and away from the water along the south coast until further notice. The most up to date information can be found on the Wellington Water website and via Facebook.
Is there anything the public can do to help? (for example: reduce wastewater use)
Only use your toilets for the Three Ps: poo, pee and paper.
Wet wipes, sanitary products and any other item are not fit for flushing down the toilets. These need to be disposed of appropriately through recommended methods.
What caused this?
There will be a thorough and robust investigation into the cause and this will be publicly shared.
Where can I access the latest water sampling results?
We have done water sampling around the South Coast. These tests take at least 24 hours to produce a result as the bacteria has to be grown in the lab.
Why didn’t we get into the plant overnight to start fixing it?
Multiple floors and key areas of the plant have been inundated. The main area, the size of an Olympic sized swimming pool, had wastewater up to three metres deep. This made it impossible to access the site without causing more issues.
Isn’t this a brand-new plant?
Moa Point Wastewater Treatment Plant has been in operation since 1998. Wellington City Council own the plant and Wellington Water maintains it with operational support from Veolia.
Who is responsible for cleaning up the beaches?
Only contractors from Wellington Water and Wellington City Council with the relevant health and safety clearance are undertaking this work.
Doesn’t this happen every time it rains?
Typically, when there is heavy rain, there is discharge of treated or partially treated wastewater out to sea. However, in this case, it is a complete plant shutdown, resulting in untreated wastewater, that includes raw sewage, being discharged through the short outfall which is 5 metres long.
Was anyone injured when the incident occurred?
No one was injured as the event took place during the early hours of the morning around 1am, and there were no personnel at risk.
Who runs/owns the plant?
Wellington City Council own the plant and Wellington Water maintains it with operational support from Veolia.
What happens when Tiaki Wai takes over?
As of 1 July 2026, as per legislation, Wellington Water will amalgamate with a new water entity, Tiaki Wai.
Tiaki Wai is the new organisation that will deliver drinking water, wastewater and reticulated stormwater services across the metropolitan Wellington area from 1 July 2026. More information can be found on their website.
What is a rāhui?
A rāhui has been placed in partnership with Iwi. There are temporary restrictions for swimming and accessing the beach in the areas that this is in place. We are following practices of mana whenua. This is not only keeping people safe in the interest of public health, but also to acknowledge culturally the harm that has been done to the moana and surrounding environment.
Is wastewater being discharged through the short outfall?
The last wastewater discharge from the short outfall pipe was on February 5. However, it is likely to be utilised again in the event of heavy rain as the plant is still not operational. Focus remains on increasing the volume of wastewater flow through the long outfall pipe as much as possible. The long outfall pipe is 1.8km in length, about 1km offshore.
Is wastewater being screened?
The screens at the treatment plant are working. These screens remove items like sanitary pads and wet wipes from the wastewater, before it is discharged.
Can odour be expected?
Odour levels may be more noticeable at Moa Point Wastewater Treatment Plant due to the wastewater flooding onsite, the operational work needed to respond to the damage at the plant, and the lack of odour treatment onsite.
We appreciate the significant impact odour can have on the community, and are doing all we can to reduce the level of odour and the timeframe of any potential impact. This is a top priority, and our teams are working to mitigate odour every step of the way.
This has included:
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Trucking sludge to Carey’s Gully. Trucking ended early on 6 February
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Cleaning up the site as quickly as possible. Due to the significant health and safety risks onsite, we are proceeding with caution to keep our people safe.
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Emptying the clarifiers and Primary Settling Tanks. We estimate that this will continue for up to a week.
We are monitoring odour onsite and outside the plant boundaries, and installing an odour neutraliser onsite.
To report increased odour in your local area because of the Moa Point incident, contact Greater Wellington Regional Council by calling 0800 496 734. Additional information such as photos of other environmental impacts can be sent to info@gw.govt.nz