Wellington's mayor has put himself in the water to back up his message, taking a very public swim at Lyall Bay to show that the city's southern beaches are once again accessible to residents, though some caution remains.
The coastline had been closed since the Moa Point treatment plant suffered a catastrophic failure on 4 February, releasing around 70 million litres of untreated sewage into the sea every day. Popular spots including Ōwhiro and Island bays, both just a few kilometres from the plant, were placed off-limits as a result.
Mayor Andrew Little announced on Wednesday that the formal ban had been lifted, with the city reverting to its standard beach monitoring system so residents can make their own informed decisions about when and where to swim.
Under that system, the public can consult the LAWA website to check current water quality conditions before heading to the beach.
"We have to be realistic and practical about what we're asking people to do. Conditions can change rapidly. There are areas where the risk remains higher, such as near the short outfall pipe at Tarakena Bay," he said.
Little urged people to check the LAWA website before swimming and to follow the advice on it.
"I do want to be clear: a risk remains, but monitoring results so far show that it is low and it is now up to people to decide how they respond to the current information," Little said.
Little also acknowledged the community's response to the crisis. "I want to thank Wellingtonians and local businesses for their patience and understanding. Our city has rallied behind the workers who've been tireless in cleaning out the Moa Pt plant and walking the coast to keep people informed.
"Today's progress marks a turning point, but we are far from the end of the journey. There is still a major infrastructure plant to restore, and lessons that must be learned through the Crown Review process."
The government has separately launched an independent review into what went wrong at the Moa Point treatment plant.
That announcement follows the resignation of Wellington Water chair Nick Leggett, who stepped down on 15 February, stating that his departure would allow Wellington Water to focus on fixing the problems and restoring public trust.
Since the discharge began, water quality along the southern coast has been closely tracked by an interagency group bringing together National Public Health, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Wellington City Council, and Wellington Water, with regular sampling informing decisions about beach safety.
Should the short outfall pipe be brought back into use, Wellington Water will notify LAWA straight away, allowing the platform to update its beach advice promptly. LAWA's standing recommendation remains to avoid entering the water during rainfall, or for 48 hours after any rain.
