A Bromley woman is taking Christchurch City Council to the Disputes Tribunal after it refused to pay for air purifiers she bought to cope with the stench from the burnt-out wastewater treatment plant.
Vickie Walker says bought two air purifiers to deal with the foul odour invading her house from the wastewater plant, while she was isolating. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Vickie Walker said her claim for $695 would be heard on 26 August, following months of exposure to sulphurous gases that caused headaches and nausea on top of dealing with a Covid-19 infection.
"That smell and being unwell at the same time, it was a really tough, low time for me," she said.
"It was stinking in my house, I was in isolation, I couldn't go out. It was absolutely disgusting."
Walker owns two air purifiers bought since the rotten stench emerged earlier this year, which also helped her manage the smell while isolating in a different part of the house to her husband.
A council staff member turned down her request for reimbursement because they were worried about the precedent it might set, Walker said, which left her feeling belittled.
"This is our health, our life and we deserve to have fresh air, not other people's poo in our property," she said.
The council said it had not been notified of any other claims.
More than 2600 households within a set zone have received one-off council payments of $200 to help them deal with the stench, but the offer came to an end on Friday because demand has tapered off.
Out-of-zone applicants can still make a claim until 31 August.
Earlier this month, the council approved a further $180,000 to provide more support for schools and childcare centres and targeted help for people struggling the most.
People suffering from nausea, headaches and disrupted sleep have been concerned about long-term exposure to gases coming from the plant.
While there was evidence people were suffering physically and mentally from the foul smell, Canterbury's medical officer of health Cheryl Brunton previously said long-term problems were extraordinarily unlikely at the hydrogen sulphide concentrations recorded in air quality monitoring.
The council warned it could take between two and five years before the treatment plant is permanently restored to its previous capacity. Photo: Supplied Image - Christchurch City Council
An independent examination of dark stains on people's homes found the discolouration was likely the result of a reaction between hydrogen sulphide and lead-based house paint.
The council has told home-owners the stains are likely to be temporary and should gradually fade as daylight hours lengthen and the health of the oxidation ponds improves.
Staff have been asked to report back on options to provide a free house cleaning service for affected properties and assess internal property damage from the odour.
Contractors finished emptying the plant's two fire-damaged trickling filters a month ahead of schedule on Tuesday. While the smell from the oxidation ponds has improved, people are still troubled by the foul odour at times.
The council has installed a new system to do the job of the filters and is working on options to rebuild or replace them with a different treatment process, with a decision expected by the end of the year.
The council has warned it could take between two and five years before the treatment plant is permanently restored to its previous capacity.
The interim solution has a life expectancy of up to five years.