EPISODE · Mar 20, 2026 · 6 MIN
Possible cause of Moa Point sewage spill revealed
from Checkpoint
Air trapped in a pipe could have contributed to the massive blow back of sewage that flooded the Moa Point treatment plant. Modelling in an initial report suggests during high water flow turbulence traps air in the bypass pipeline. That air acts as a block reducing waste flows. Pressure from trapped air could have forced sewage backwards up the pipe flooding the treatment plant. Wellington Water's chief operating officer Charles Barker spoke to Lisa Owen.
What this episode covers
Air trapped in a pipe could have contributed to the massive blow back of sewage that flooded the Moa Point treatment plant. Modelling in an initial report suggests during high water flow turbulence traps air in the bypass pipeline. That air acts as a block reducing waste flows. Pressure from trapped air could have forced sewage backwards up the pipe flooding the treatment plant. Wellington Water's chief operating officer Charles Barker spoke to Lisa Owen.
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Possible cause of Moa Point sewage spill revealed
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