Leaking pipe to blame for sinkhole in Reed St
A LEAKING water pipe has been determined as the cause of a small sinkhole that appeared on an Oamaru street late last month.
The sinkhole, about 1.5m deep, opened outside St Patrick’s Basilica on the northbound lane of Reed St before it was quickly fenced off by Waitaki District Council contractors, who were notified by police shortly after it appeared.
Police directed traffic in the area around the sinkhole for a short time before contractors arrived at the scene to ensure the busy stretch of road was safe for motorists to use.
An initial investigation pointed to the sinkhole being caused by problematic underrunners, as they had caused issues in the past.
However, further investigations revealed a different cause, Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said.
‘‘The initial thought was that it was an underrunner, but closer investigation showed that it had been a leaky pipe that has created the subsidence. That’s since been replaced, so it’s good as new.’’
The sinkhole was initially scheduled to be filled on Friday, but that work was delayed until yesterday.
The area around the sinkhole would be sealed later this week, Mr Kircher said.
The northbound lane of Reed St will be closed for the duration of the work.
No detours are in place.