Old pipe breaks spilling sewage down Queenstown street

An ageing sewerage pipe that had been scheduled for replacement has broken sending human waste and dirty water down a main street in Queenstown.

On Monday night there were reports of a bad smell and what appeared to be raw sewage spilling down Gorge Road near Industrial Place.

Today, Queenstown Lakes District Council infrastructure operations manager Simon Mason has confirmed a 150-millimetre asbestos cement pipe to be the culprit.

Council contractors Veolia work to fix a broken sewerage pipe on Gorge Road, Tuesday, September 10, 2024.

A section of the pipe "failed" between two manholes downstream of the Gorge Road slow-release tank, Mr Mason says in a statement to Crux.

"It had been identified as a renewal need and was being worked through."

Mr Mason says council three waters contractor Veolia "has worked hard" and "as promptly as possible" on repairs and has now fully replaced that section of the problem pipe. 

"Otago Regional Council and iwi representatives have been informed of the incident."

On Tuesday, when contacted by Crux, the regional council was unaware of the incident.

The slow-release tank receives wastewater pumped from Arthur’s Point and gradually releases it downstream into the network.

Main image: Veolia workers respond to a suspected sewage spill at the corner of Gorge Road and Industrial Place in Queenstown, Tuesday, September 10, 2024.