Christchurch mayor promises Bromley residents sewage smell won't last

Christchurch's mayor says an increase in smells coming from the city's troubled sewerage plant is expected and will only be temporary.

On Friday, the council announced pond conditions had been declining throughout the week, with two ponds moving to red on the council's odour status tracker, which indicated a "high probability of odour", while another pond had moved to orange, or "possible odour".

It said the issue was caused by essential repairs taking a clarifier (a settling tank that separates solids and suspended particles from wastewater before it flows to the ponds) offline.

Work has been underway to install aerators at the Bromley wastewater ponds after the stench endured by residents in the city's East since a 2021 fire destroyed critical infrastructure spread across the city last summer.

The Canterbury Regional Council received thousands of complaints about the smell in just two months at the start of the year.

In February, the regional council issued an abatement notice to the city council over the putrid stench.

Months later, the council voted to add the 16 aerators to add oxygen to some of the ponds to aid in breaking down sewage at a cost of $7.7 million.

Mayor Phil Mauger said the clarifier had been in extremely bad shape.

"There's a bearing in the middle of it which was not healthy at all and we were always told as soon as we get these aerators in and they're up and running, we're going to pull the clarifier out.

"They're working flat out on the clarifier - they've got the bits and pieces to put it back together and from what I understand in early December, it's back together.

"It's not forever. I feel sorry for the people down there, but we sort of knew this issue was going to happen when the clarifier was taken out of service."

Mauger said the new activated sludge plant would be "up and running by this time next year", however a council spokesperson clarified it was not due to be completed until late 2028.

Bromley resident Vickie Walker said the smell had increased in the last week or two.

"It's gotten really, really smelly. I haven't got it in my house at the moment, thank God, just outside, but I think it's probably a seven out of 10 - when it was really bad it was a 10."

She was pleased with work the council had done to improve the stench, though wished it had been done sooner.

"In saying that, we've still got a problem and they're still building housing and adding to our current situation, that's really annoying me."

Walker said she was concerned at the amount of housing development going in when the new sludge reactor was still two years away from coming online.

"I'd plead with them actually to stop. Stop with the new subdivisions and new housing until our new system is in."

She was opposed to the potential plan floated by Mauger earlier in the year to pump the city's sewage out to sea.

"That's not a good option and shouldn't have to happen, but what do we do?"

Walker said communication from the council had improved, but "it wasn't helping when it's still not fixed".

She said the community was "absolutely sick" of reporting the increased stench to the council, and felt many no longer bothered.

Having to constantly report the smell underscored to residents how long they had been dealing with the issue, Walker said.

"It just reminds you how annoying it is, and we shouldn't still have to be doing it.

"I would really love to have a smell free Christmas with my family and my friends and a BBQ and a walk in our community. That's what I hope for in the very near future," Walker said.