The Dunedin City Council could face legal action based on emails showing it knew about problems with the city's drainage tanks years before they flooded, a councillor says.
Councillor Lee Vandervis said he had warned the council about problems with the tanks in 2011, four years before flooding last year caused damage that would cost millions of dollars to repair.
Lee Vandervis Photo: Dunedin City Council
Many people were left homeless after about 1250 properties flooded in South Dunedin last June, leaving the city with a $30 million bill.
Mr Vandervis said the emails he had published showed the council was well aware the mud tanks that were supposed to be cleared were not being properly maintained.
He said the equipment needed to do the job was not even in Dunedin for a substantial period of time.
The council could be held liable for a class action by flood victims or the insurance companies, Mr Vandervis said.