‘It’s a catastrophe’: Wellington rages as millions of litres of raw sewage pour into ocean
Abandoned beaches, public health warning signs and seagulls eating human waste are now features of the popular coastline in #NewZealand
Michelle Duff in Wellington
Wed 18 Feb 2026 22.42 EST
"A tide of anger is rising in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, as the city’s toilets continue to flush directly into the ocean more than two weeks after the catastrophic collapse of its wastewater treatment plant.
"Millions of litres of raw and partially screened sewage have been pouring into pristine #reefs and a #MarineReserve along the south coast daily since 4 February, prompting a national inquiry, as the authorities struggle to get the decimated plant operational.
"Abandoned beaches, public health warning signs and seagulls eating human waste are now features of the popular coastline, with the environmental disaster zone adjacent to the airport where thousands of international visitors alight every day.
"Fears for the safety of marine #ecosystems – including vulnerable species such as the little blue penguin, or #kororā, which nest along the shore – are mixed with concerns over the length and cost of disruption to those who depend on the coast for income, wellness, and recreation.
"As a southerly storm whipped through the lower North Island and churned up polluted seawater this week, hundreds of residents turned out to a public meeting to seek answers.
" 'They’re warning us to close our windows because a shit-laden hurricane is coming at us,' said the south coast resident and environmentalist Eugene Doyle, whose house faces the sea. 'Everyone in charge has done an appalling job, and they need to be held accountable.' "
Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/19/wellington-raw-sewage-leak-spill-water-new-zealand
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/bjF7f
