Christchurch City Council
Contractors have almost finished removing the rotting fire-damaged material from the trickling filters at the Christchurch wastewater treatment plant.
Rotten material from Christchurch’s fire-damaged wastewater treatment plant will be removed this week – five weeks ahead of schedule.
The update comes as Christchurch City Council approves another $180,000 to help residents affected by the stench from the wastewater plant in Bromley and confirms dark stains on people’s homes is a result of the hydrogen sulphide emitted from the plant.
The money is in addition to the $1 million financial aid package approved in May.
The first package included a one-off $200 payment for about 3300 households in Bromley. The new money would be spent to extend support for schools and early learning centres and help people access health and wellbeing support.
READ MORE:
* Sulphurous gases detected at damaged Christchurch wastewater plant
* Bromley residents live with the double-stink bomb of Christchurch’s waste
* $10m contract to remove rotting material from wastewater treatment plant
* ‘Horrendous, foul, toxic stench’ from Christchurch wastewater plant worsens
Two residents told the council on Wednesday people were still feeling the effects of the stench, even though the smell had improved during recent weeks. They both urged the council to do more to help residents.
Samantha Fay, a Southshore resident, asked the council to quickly improve its communication.
She said people still did not feel safe walking outside and some were too scared to eat vegetables from their garden.
Canterbury’s medical officer of health Dr Cheryl Brunton said in June the smell was causing physical and mental health effects including nausea, headaches, worsening asthma, and disturbed sleep.
But long-term health problems from the stench were “extraordinarily unlikely”, Brunton said, as hydrogen sulphide did not stay in the body.
KAI SCHWOERER/STUFF
Damaged by a fire in November 2021, the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant in Bromley has produced a stench plaguing nearby residents since.
However, Fay said not everyone was aware of this.
People have also complained of dark stains appearing on their homes.
An independent investigation, released this week, found the stains were likely a result of a reaction between lead-based house paint and hydrogen sulphide emitted from the plant.
The council said the discolouration, most likely related to mould, could be removed by washing it with a chlorine solution.
“We have been advised that the discolouration is likely to only be temporary, and a 1966 study into the effects of hydrogen sulphide on lead-based paint does not suggest permanent damage to the paint,” the council said.
The discolouration was expected to gradually reduce as daylight hours lengthen and the health of the oxidation ponds improved.
Thirty-nine property owners had contacted the council with concerns about paint stains.
CCC Newsline/Supplied
Although the stench of the Christchurch wastewater treatment plant is challenging nearby residents, Canterburyâs medical officer of health says itâs highly unlikely they will experience any long-term harm.
South New Brighton resident Philip Duffy said he did not think it was reasonable to expect members of the community to clean their own houses.
Council infrastructure, planning and regulatory services general manager Jane Davis said staff had not proposed a widespread free service, but if anyone in the community was particularly stressed and could not clean their house then council staff would be available to help them.
The council asked staff to report back on options to provide a free clean up service for those houses that have been discoloured. Staff were also asked to consider assessing internal property damage from the odours.
Cr Pauline Cotter said the council was not a bottomless pit of resources and did not want to see the council set up a free house cleaning service, especially when it had received advice that the stains would be removed.
Cr Yani Johanson said it was entirely fair that the council takes responsibility to help deal with the fallout from the fire.
More than 2600 households have received a $200 grant from the council, but payments to people living inside a set zone would end on August 12. The council would still consider out-of-zone applicants until August 31.
The new $180,000 would be used to increase the number of schools and early learning centres receiving money to provide activities and events to help children and their families to manage the effects of the odour.
It would also be used to subsidise health visits or transport costs to attend appointments related to the impact of the smell.
Davis said the material inside the trickling filters would be gone this week and the quality of the wastewater entering the ponds was already improving. The ponds have also been a major source of the smell.
However, the heavy rain received last month has effectively flushed out the ponds and helped reduce the smell.
Cr Celeste Donovan urged her fellow councillors to vote in favour of the additional money and support for residents.
“I would hate to think this is the first example of stadium brain rationing where we start saying we can no longer afford to pay for communities to get the support they need.”
