A decision on whether a polluted stream in Hutt Valley will continue to be cleaned up has been delayed for a fortnight.
Hutt City Council and Wellington Regional Council were told on Wednesday night that the cost of disposing of pollutants in the Waiwhetu stream has risen by almost $2 million.
Hutt City Mayor David Ogden says he is disappointed by the increase and will apply to the Government for funding.
He says the stream is a national problem.
Otherwise, Mr Ogden says the extra money needed will fall largely on the city's ratepayers.
Contaminants in the stream came from industrial waste since the 1970s.