![\"Andrew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4JYS2Q3_251029_Welly_Dept_Mayor_1_jpg.jpeg\")
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Photo: RNZ \/ Samuel Rillstone\n<\/p>\n
Wellington’s mayor can’t say if ratepayers in the broader Wellington region will foot the bill for the failure of the Moa Point wastewater plant<\/a>.<\/p>\n It could be months before the plant returns to full operation after nearly 80 percent of its equipment was damaged by a backflow of sewage.<\/p>\n Wellington Mayor Andrew Little met with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Local Government and Energy Minister Simon Watts on Monday night. Little said they both agree an independent inquiry<\/a> into the failure of the Moa Point wastewater treatment plant was needed as soon as possible.<\/p>\n Little told Morning Report that he agreed any review needed to be independent.<\/p>\n Wellington Water manages the region’s water infrastructure on behalf of Wellington, Hutt Valley, Porirua and South Wairarapa district councils.<\/p>\n Tiaki Wai Metro Water, the new water services entity for the Wellington metropolitan area, is set to take over from Wellington Water on 1 July 2026. Little said the new entity won’t pick up liability if Wellington Water is found culpable.<\/p>\n Little said the Moa Point plant is a Wellington City Council asset. He said it will deal with who pays once the plan to get the plant back online is in place.<\/p>\n In the meantime, the council would foot the bill.<\/p>\n “If there’s been a breach of obligations, a breach of duties, then that, to me, has to be sorted out between the parties. In the meantime, the critical thing is to get the [plant] recovered, fixed and back operating. The Wellington City Council will no doubt underwrite that cost,” Little said.<\/p>\n “We want to know what went wrong, where the responsibility lies and if we can recover any costs, then obviously we want to do that.”<\/p>\n \nUntreated water is leaking onto the capital’s south coast beaches due to the Moa Point Treatment Plant flooding. Wellington Water chief executive Pat Dougherty told Morning Report on Monday there’s been under-investment over a long period at the Moa Point plant and backs an investigation.<\/p>\n![\"Untreated](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4JTQ53B_Image_1_jpg.jpeg\")
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\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Samuel Rillstone\n<\/p>\n