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Residents of at least one South Dunedin street are sick of sewage running down their street and into their homes during heavy downpours and want the Dunedin City Council to address the issue urgently.
A petition signed by about 30 residents of Surrey St asking the council to give urgent attention to the Surrey St diversion project outlined in its 2015-16 long-term plan was presented to the infrastructure services and networks committee yesterday.
The South Dunedin street has repeatedly flooded during times of heavy rain, with wastewater overflows contaminating homes.
Resident of 40 years Margaret Waide said she decided to start the petition after the latest heavy rain caused her backyard to flood and her toilet to overflow.
There had always been flooding issues in the street but they were becoming more frequent, she said.
Residents were forced to use buckets as temporary toilets and even abandon their homes during heavy rain, Mrs Waide said.
``With what happened recently I just thought it was time to let the council know how we are feeling and we can't just keep putting up with this for another 10 years.''
Her petition was supported by the Greater South Dunedin Action Group.
During the meeting, council 3 waters manager Tom Dyer told Mrs Waide work to address flooding in Surrey St was part of the wider Green Island wastewater treatment plant upgrade.
Preliminary work on the upgrade would start in the 2018-2019 financial year with major construction starting in the 2022-2023 financial year.
About $44million had been budgeted for the waste water treatment plant upgrade and a further $9million was budgeted for the construction of a new pipeline to carry wastewater from Kaikorai Valley to the Green Island plant, instead of South Dunedin, Mr Dyer said.
``This is a substantial piece of work that will take some time.''
After the meeting Greater South Dunedin Action Group president Ray Macleod said the council had not offered any short-term engineering solution to the flooding and wastewater issues South Dunedin experienced.
``I don't think the council is providing people in South Dunedin the level of service it is required to provide.''
Residents of South Dunedin could not wait another five or 10 years if their homes were being flooded every one or two years, Mr Macleod said.