About $150,000 of emergency repairs have been made to the Omaka River after last week's flood damage, the Marlborough District Council said yesterday.

Council maintenance staff finished clearing sewage from about 10 overflows onto private property, a council spokeswoman said. They would also be in the worst-affected areas this week to check drains.

Council maintenance staff had cleaned up properties on Friday, disinfecting driveways and spreading lime on lawns and gardens.

"In some cases, council staff will be assisting households to check out their domestic plumbing."

Over the next 18 months, council staff will be reviewing the state of the Blenheim town sewerage system.

Last week council operations and maintenance engineer Stephen Rooney said the Blenheim sewerage system dated back to the mid-1930s and, while sewer infrastructure was generally expected to last for 80 to 100 years, parts of the system were beginning to show their age.

“We know that in some parts of the network the groundwater is infiltrating the sewers. Under normal circumstances we manage that through an infiltration programme which deals with any major leaks.

"However the experience of these last few days confirms the need for a plan council already has in place to rehabilitate the sewer mains in Bank St and McLachlan St between Fulton St and Old Renwick Rd.”

Council rivers staff surveyed the Omaka River by helicopter and estimated there were about $50,000 of emergency repairs needed to the river and about $100,000 of repairs below Hawksbury.

"The Omaka went mad in last week's weather. The damage to the channel is worse than in the 2008 flood."

Marlborough Roads staff said drivers should take particular care in all areas where there has been flooding.

Urgent repairs began straight away but it will be months before all repairs are completed.

- The Marlborough Express

Comments