New Zealand mayor clarifies ‘stop pooing’ remark as residents face sewage stench

The Mayor of New Zealand issued a clarification after an official advised the residents to ‘stop pooing’ to reduce the sewage stench.

Residents of Lower Hutt, a city in the Wellington region of New Zealand, have been struggling with foul odour from a sewage plant for a few weeks now. The odour is so strong that locals are forced to close their windows. When the matter was highlighted in a council meeting, an official advised the residents to ‘stop pooing’ to reduce the smell. The word spread like wildfire, and the mayor of New Zealand was forced to issue a clarification on the same, The Guardian reported.

The odour is so strong that locals are forced to close their windows. (Representational Image/Unsplash)

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Mayor Campbell Barry clarified that the comments were ‘made in jest’, assuring no such advice was issued. He also dismissed that the upcoming music festival, Juicy Fest, would exacerbate the odour issue.

Wellington Water, which is responsible for managing the Seaview wastewater treatment plant, has acknowledged the severity of the odour issue. “We acknowledge the odour levels have been unpleasant, inconvenient, and distressful for the community,” Wellington Water said in a statement.

It said further that it is replacing the plant's biofilters with deodorising chemical dispersing machines to improve the air in the interim. The company also said that NZ $13m will be invested in longer-term improvements over the next three years.

According to The Guardian, both Wellington Water and the contractor Veolia New Zealand have been slapped with NZ $22,750 in fines for ​​discharging offensive and objectionable odours beyond the permissible limit. Local councils have also been fined in connection with the issue.