16 Nov 2023

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An update report on the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant’s insurance claim for the November 2021 fire on the trickling filters has been provided to Councillors today.

The November 2021 fire was an unprecedented event that caused significant damage to two trickling filters at the Plant.

An update report regarding the insurance process, including investigations and the current position, is set to be considered at Finance and Performance Committee meeting on Wednesday 22 November.

This report contains all the information that can be released at this stage to keep the public informed without prejudicing our ongoing insurance claim or disclosing confidential commercial arrangements.

Read the full report here.

The report confirms that the Council has sufficient insurance to cover the costs of restoring the trickling filters and further insurance to cover the additional costs of operating the Plant. The Council has received $25 million from insurers as an interim payment towards costs incurred to date.

The report also says that following in-depth investigations, Council engineers and engineers for the insurers have largely reached agreement over the extent of the damage to the trickling filters and a restoration methodology.

“The Council has commissioned the next stage of design for the restoration on the trickling filters which will include requirements around the various elements of the restoration.”

“In addition to this, we have been investigating other treatment processes to benchmark the trickling filter process against,” it says.