For more than 18 months, human waste from public toilets has been going into a soak pit instead of the wastewater main, the Central Otago District Council confirmed this week.
Council planning and infrastructure group manager Louise van der Voort said the problem was revealed during stormwater work being done as part of the Clyde heritage precinct upgrade.
Portaloos were put in place and the toilets closed last Thursday evening and reopened on Monday.
"The toilet connection that was made in early 2023 from the existing septic tank system appears to have been mistakenly connected to a stormwater soak pit."
Seipp installed the wastewater reticulation in Clyde and McLellan’s Plumbing connected the toilets, she said.
A building consent was issued for the toilet block which at that time was connected to a septic tank. Inspections were undertaken and compliance issued in late 2021. The connection to services did not require a building consent as that work was undertaken under the engineering approval process.
"The stormwater soak pit is not connected to the system that enters the river and, as far as we are aware, there has been no discharge to the river. This could only occur in the event there was an overflow of the soak pit causing water to travel down the kerb on Sunderland St to a mud tank connected to the stormwater network."
The soak pit manhole was initially sucked out to remove the contents and a biological agent would be added to address any residual contamination, she said.
"We are still working to identify how this occurred."
As part of the council’s standard procedure for potential wastewater discharges the Otago Regional Council had been informed.
Regional council acting manager compliance Simon Wilson said staff were investigating and while that was under way the council would not comment.
The Clyde Heritage Precinct project, which began in 2021, was consulted on through the council’s 10-year plan.
It started by opening up the walkway from Matau St to Miners Ln and extending Miners Ln to create a one-way through-road.
In 2022 a central community space was completed in Lodge Ln, where the toilets opened last year.
Retailers had been frustrated with delays and road closures during the protracted project that they say had affected their businesses. At the moment there is only one-way traffic through the main street.
Project manager Dan Kirkman said last year excavation under Holloway St had revealed additional pipes and valves were necessary to reduce future water disruptions, but it increased the project timeline.
At a public meeting in June, Clyde residents complained about a lack of communication from the council about the project’s timeframe.
