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Wastewater overflow notifications

Wastewater overflows pose a serious risk to public health and our environment and need to be fixed immediately.

Most wastewater blockages (and subsequent overflows) occur when people flush things down their toilets or sinks that they shouldn’t like wet wipes, fats and cooking oils. Wastewater overflows can also occur when stormwater enters the wrong pipes during heavy rain due to faulty gully traps or damaged infrastructure.

If a wastewater overflow has occurred, please notify us.

Report a water problem

Wastewater Overflow Notification - Chapel Street Waste Water Treatment Plant - Emergency Discharge of Treated Wastewater

Event date: 21/01/2026 8:00 am Export event

Overflow Notification

This is a follow-up to the notification sent out this morning regarding the activation of the Chapel Street emergency wastewater overflow discharge.

Due to heavy inflows into the Te Maunga Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), the plant came under pressure, with water levels in the ponds getting close to overtopping. To prevent this, a decision was made at 12:30 pm to re-open the Chapel Street emergency discharge to reduce pressure on the Te Maunga WWTP. The emergency discharge consists of tertiary treated wastewater, which is also UV treated.

The situation will be reviewed by the WWTP operations team tomorrow morning (23/1/2023), and we are hopeful that normal operations can be resumed.

Current Actions

TCC contractors have placed warning signage in areas for public access, along the Maxwells Road and Sulphur Point Area.

Water quality testing will begin when weather permits.

Further Information

Contact Tauranga City Council on 07 577 7000.

Posted: Jan 22, 2026,

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