Residents of Manawatū town Feilding may have to stump up $18 million in rates for a new stormwater system.
File photo: Paddocks with surface flooding in Te Reureu near Feilding, Manawatū on 16 December 2021. Photo: Supplied / Ruthie Henchman
The Manawatū District Council says the upgrade is needed after several floods over the past nine months.
A statement from the council on Wednesday said the present system was built to handle volumes in a one in 10-year event, but the four recent floods were at one in 50-year levels. They were expected to hit with more frequency.
Council engineers had developed a plan to deal with pinch points in the town's system, and that had been presented to councillors at a workshop.
No funding was yet allocated for the work, which would be considered for the council's 2024-2034 10-year plan.
"The estimated cost to implement the stormwater plan is $18m, which would likely be a direct cost to ratepayers," the council statement said.
Council workers were also contacting residents who had notified them of flooding at their properties, prioritising those who had water in their homes rather than elsewhere on their properties.
"[The] council is aware of the scale of the flooding issues and we understand the impact that they are having on affected residents," it said.
"Our staff and contractors regularly inspect the stormwater network, maintaining pipes and clearing blockages when they are identified.
"Our operations team have a monthly maintenance programme to maintain stormwater assets, and drains are checked both prior to and after significant rain events."