Slip caused by leaking pipe, rain and comms breakdown

A leaking water pipe and consistent rainfall most likely caused last month’s slip which cut off water to Point Howard residents and temporarily closed Howard Road, a report has found.

Wellington Water and Hutt City Council met with residents to share the report’s findings the week after the slip occurred last month.

The review found residents had provided accurate and timely information about the status of the leak at Point Howard, and that there was an inconsistency in the flow of customer information between Wellington Water and Hutt City Council, which “impeded the timely escalation and prioritisation of this leak repair”.

Point Howard Residents’ Association spokesperson Travis Ancelet says the organisation supports the findings of the report and looks forward to working with Hutt City Council and Wellington Water.

“We hope the findings mean other communities won’t be faced with similar challenges over water,” he says.

Although he and his partner were not able to make the meeting, he understands there was a mix of opinions, including from those who felt the disaster could have been avoided. “But at the end of the day, they acted quickly and got the report out quickly.”