Christchurch City Council has apologised to residents for an increase in odour in parts of the city, created by damage to the wastewater treatment plant in the quake.
Flows to the treatment plant are high due to high due to groundwater getting into broken pipes, and there is a high sand and silt load in the flow which causes problems in the sedimentation stage.
City Water and Waste manager Mark Christison says tankers are trucking sand and sewage waste to the plant, instead of relying on the broken pipes which he says increases the odour potential.
Mr Christison says no secondary treatment is available, but a temporary treatment phase is in place to reduce the load on oxidation ponds.
Every effort is being made to repair critical equipment so that full secondary treatment can be brought back on line, he says.
