(file image) Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Houses have been evacuated in the Lower Hutt suburb of Point Howard and 75 are without power after a large slip in the area.
Cordons were set up at Howard Road early on Tuesday afternoon, and 10 households were evacuated due to the risk of the slip moving again.
Wellington Water said a burst pipe brought down the slip, and it warned it was cutting off all water supplies to Point Howard while services were being restored.
Hutt City Council said it was unsure how long the water supply would be turned off, and was trying to isolate the broken pipe. Two water tankers have been set up on Marine Drive in the meantime
Wellington Water said it could not assess the damage until power and gas supplies were restored and a geotechnical assessment completed..
Residents were asked to conserve water and fill up bottles to ensure they had enough to get by.
Wellington Electricity said 75 households were without power as a result of the slip taking down powerlines.
It also severed a gas line and Fire and Emergency (FENZ) staff asked Point Howard residents to stay in their homes.
FENZ shift manager Chris Dalton said they were working with Hutt City council and power and gas companies to make services safe and assess the extent of the damage.
In a post on social media, Hutt City Council said residents in the wider area may also experience disruptions.
"We're also asking residents to conserve water, avoid flushing toilets, and avoid unnecessary water usage to minimise the impacts of water disruptions in the area.
"If any residents have safety concerns or believe they are in danger, please call 111. We will post updates as they become available to us."
Stephen, who lived next door to the property with the slip, said Wellington Water first attended the issue last night.
"They dug the road up, they worked up there till about four in the morning, they dug the road up and patched it up but the water was still pouring out."
He said when he returned to the property this morning he saw the powerline was also down.
Howard Road resident Debby McCool said the first they knew about the slip and gas leak was when emergency services knocked on the door looking for the owner of a car in their way, which belonged to their visitor.
Another resident on the road, Don, was concerned there would be more slips. He said he had contacted the council about three weeks ago after heavy rain, due to a slip above his property.
Residents said they have been in contact with council since last year concerned about slips.
FENZ assistant commander Gareth Hughes said it would take some time for the area to return to normal but they were aiming to have services up and running as soon as possible.
Some residents in the cordoned off area could only leave their house on foot.
⚠️Large slip in Eastbourne⚠️
— Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (@WREMOinfo) March 13, 2023
We are aware of large slip on Howard Road in Eastbourne. We are working with Hutt City and our partner agencies on this incident.
Please see the below post for more information! https://t.co/BKjOeryZ2X
