History of the Waiwhetu Stream
Sheet piles for the February 2008 clean-up trial
A legacy of contamination
Sheet piles for the February 2008 clean-up trial
The Waiwhetu Stream has a long history of pollution, which has resulted in the stream sediment becoming heavily contaminated. Local industries used the stream for dumping untreated industrial discharges up until 1978 when a trade waste sewer was installed. Heavy metals such as lead, zinc, copper and cadmium, as well as pesticides, have been found in the sediment.
The trial 
clean-up
In February 2008 a trial was undertaken to test the sediment removal process and ensure that it will work the way we want it to; to refine the process, and to get a more accurate picture of the cost of the full clean-up. This was considered to be very successful, and the clean-up project was given the green light. You can read regular updates on the clean up project on the What's happening? page.