QLDC's illegal sewage wall at risk of collapse

Crux has photographed this morning further breaches of the QLDC's illegal 2km wall surrounding the Shotover Wastewater plant's disposal field.

Effluent is escaping into a ditch right next to the disposal field boundary along the airport side bike trail and extends for up to 200 metres. It is growing every hour.

We have sampled water in the ditch this morning and sent samples off for independent testing in Invercargill.

One of the samples taken by Crux from outside the disposal field boundary fence this morning March 5, 2025.

Crux reported the new breach of the wall to the Otago Regional Council's pollution line on Monday this week.

The main image (above) shows for the first time treated effluent escaping directly from under the boundary fence. Experts spoken to by Crux say this will further weaken the wall and put it at risk of total failure.

Yesterday the water in the new boundary ditch started to form bubbles in warm weather.

The escaped effluent started forming surface bubbles yesterday - March 4.

The ORC in a series if documents presented to the Environment Court has called for the wall to be re-designed, re-engineered and re-built to a higher standard, with official resource consent - as a short term measure. The ORC and QLDC are in private mediation talks this week as part of the Environment Court process.

This is quite seperate from the permanent, but also non consented, discharge pipe on the Kawarau River edge of the boundary fence. See video below from Sunday, March 2nd, 2025.

The QLDC has refused to tell Crux who authorised and paid for the wall or bund around the flooded disposal field. It was constructed in May 2024 without any notification or consent to the regulator, the ORC.

QLDC is also refusing to comment on any recent Crux updates as they say the matter is before the courts.

Since 2021 the ORC has issued two abatement notices and ten infringement notices against QLDC for ongoing problems at the Shotover plant

We know the work was carried out by the Beaver construction group. The cost is understood to be between $500,000 and $800,000.

There will be a full report in this week's Friday Edition for Crux subscribers (free and paid).

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