Keep Waiwhetu Stream Clean

I went to the public walk recently, and was very proud of the work that has happened removing decades of toxic sludge from the Waiwhetu Stream.  We now need to keep the stream clean. 

As a member of the Waiwhetu Stream working group, we have long been advocating for the restoration of the health of the stream.  And removing the contaminated sediment is a huge part of that restoration.

It is pleasing that both council’s (Greater Wellington Council and Hutt City Council) have funded and managed the work being done.  It had to be done, and since the industry who caused the pollution cannot be held accountable, it is good that the councils took responsibility. 

The restoration hasn’t been without its hickups.  Contaminated sludge was wrongly identified and dumped at the wrong landfill.  Cost overruns occurred when the extent of the contamination was under estimated.  But we now have a clean stream.  There are plans to put a walkway down one side, and with the planting that will occur, it will be a real asset for the city. 

After spending all this money, I do hope that the councils have learnt from the past and won’t let the stream become contaminated again.  With Waiwhetu being an urban stream, it receives run off from roads.    The council should take measures to make sure that the run off to the stream is as clean as possible.  Educating the public to not clean their cars near drains that go to the stream is a start, but we can also use technology to clean run off before it enters the stream.  Rain gardens, swales and the like clean the water before it enters the stream.   And as for discharging sewage into the stream (stuff), we can really be doing better.

While the glamorous, high cost work is almost done, we now need to do the monotonous, low profile work of keeping the stream clean.  Or else history will repeat and our children will also need to fork out money, the same as we did.