Eight Months and Three Months Post-Earthquakes

Aftershocks from the 4 Sep. 2010 M7.1 earthquake and the 22 Feb. 2011 M6.3 earthquake [see News 8 Sep. 2010 and 26 Feb. 2011] continue in quite high numbers and magnitudes around Christchurch. There have been 13 greater than M4.0, two of them greater than M5.0, in the month since 19 April – at the upper end of the ‘expected’ range.  Water supply has been restored to all suburbs. Wastewater services are being restored apace but repairs to sewer pipes, pumping stations and the main treatment works could take several years [see Christchurch Water Updates at left].  River channel and stopbank [levee] damage is being repaired, hopefully in time for winter flood flows. Responsibility for earthquake recovery has now transferred from Civil Defence and Emergency Management to a new Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority http://www.cera.govt.nz/ .