Multiple Porirua homes are without water due to an outage caused by burst pipes. Photo: 123RF
Water has been fully restored to Porirua after a valve broke last night, causing five other pipes to burst.
About 1000 homes in the Cannons Creek area were without water for nearly 24 hours.
Wellington Water said the mains water was fully restored shortly before 7pm this evening.
Porirua mayor Anita Baker described the ordeal as a nightmare for residents.
"It happened at 6 last night and it's still ongoing so it's been out for a long time, dinner, breakfast, lunch," Baker said earlier.
"It's a long time for people to go without water. We've had water carts out there for people to collect water off but it's tough when you go for that long."
Porirua mayor Anita Baker. Photo: SUPPLIED
Wellington Water took to social media and explained over a Facebook post the reason behind the outages.
"We've discovered what caused the multiple burst water mains in Porirua - it was a faulty pressure-reducing valve situated at Cannons Creek. The valve opened automatically after the initial burst in Champion Street.
"This caused the lower Porirua network to experience increased pressure from the Porirua High Reservoir. The increase in pressure resulted in the weaker spots in the water mains bursting."
Water tankers had been out on most of the streets impacted by the pipe bursts to supply water to those without.
Baker said she was happy with how Wellington Water have worked hard to try and fix the breakage.
"They've been there all night, they've been working through. I've been on site this morning just down at Champion Street, the crews are flat out.
"Residents have been wonderful, I know some of the Facebookers have been a bit upset but in the majority everyone's been very patient and happy and I'd like to thank everybody for that."
Baker also thanked residence for their patients while also helping out to deliver water.
"I had one gentleman ring me not long ago and I actually went and delivered him some water because he had a disability and couldn't get out and needed to take medication, couldn't get down to the water cart so I've been up there this afternoon and seen him but that was just a one off," Baker said.
"Everybody else who's put something on my page has actually been really really good about it and understanding."
While talking to crews working onsite, one explained to Baker he had not seen anything like this in 40 years and it was a very unusual situation.
Baker said there needed to be more funding into water infrastructure but the breakage was not from under-investment.
"That wouldn't have stopped this because it's a one off event that we couldn't have predicted but we just have to invest more money into infrastructure and continue upgrades," Baker said.