First trickling filter now largely empty

With two 20-tonne excavators now working inside the first trickling filter, the contractors removing the material are making great progress.

The contractors have been working six days a week since the material removal began three weeks ago, and as this drone image shows from yesterday morning, the first of the two trickling filter structures is now largely empty. The contractors will be taking a break over the long weekend.

House-testing results received

We've received our test results of the four houses that we sampled, after concerns were raised about a black mould appearing on the exterior of some buildings near the wastewater treatment plant.

The results from a reputable external contractor have confirmed that the discolouration observed isn't due to mould. While sampling did detect the presence of various mould types, there was no spores or types outside of common mould that typically grows on the exterior of Canterbury houses. 

We're undertaking further investigations to determine what's causing the discolouration to external paint that some residents have reported.

You can read the initial results by clicking the green button below and visiting the “Published testing results, reports and meeting action points” dropdown.

Three community meetings confirmed

Come along to one of our meetings to hear the latest update on progress at the wastewater treatment plant. It’s also an opportunity to ask any questions you might have.

We will be presenting the same information at the following times and locations:

• Tuesday 28 June: 2:00pm – 3:30pm. Bromley Community Centre
• Tuesday 28 June: 7:00pm – 8:30pm. Bromley Community Centre
• Thursday 7 July: 7.00pm – 8.30pm. South Brighton Community Centre

We’re also in the process of organising an online webinar - once we’ve confirmed a date we’ll share details on our website.

There's no need to book or RSVP, but if you want more information about the wastewater treatment plant, contact us on (03) 941 8999 or visit our website.

In case you missed it: Our latest video

Last week we published this video to shows how we've had to modify the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant after the November fire reduced its capacity to effectively treat wastewater by about 60 per cent.

If you haven't had a chance to view it yet,  click the image above and it'll play straight away.

The week ahead...

Next Thursday we'll provide an update to Councillors at the Finance and Performance Committee Meeting. You can watch a livestream of the meeting here. We'll also provide a video link to the presentation in next week's e-newsletter.

We also hope to provide you with our first results from the continuous air monitors that we've set up.

On Tuesday we're holding two community meetings at Bromley Community Centre. The details are above, and we hope to see you there.

We're also working on another video to give you some insight into how the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant operated before the fire, and how it works now. 

Stay updated

We want everyone to be able to stay updated on our response and recovery from the treatment plant fire, and we regularly post new information and reports on ccc.govt.nz/wastewaterfire 

We also post regular updates to our blog on Newsline.

If you know of anyone who would like to receive this e-newsletter they can subscribe online. 

If you have any questions, or would like further information on the project, please call us on 03 941 8999 or 0800 800 169 or email wastewater@ccc.govt.nz  

Thanks in advance for your patience and understanding as we continue to work on minimising the unpleasant smells after the fire. We’ll be in touch again soon.