Work to clear the stench of rotting sewage which has been tormenting Christchurch residents is a month ahead of schedule.
The foul odour began after the Christchurch wastewater treatment plant was damaged late last year in a fire, causing the filters to become clogged with rotten material and concrete.
“It wasn't a five-minute job, and a little bit of trial and error to start with,” site operations supervisor Toni Williams said.
The fire last November damaged the roofs of the tanks and sent black smoke billowing across the city.
New Brighton School principal Sue Walls said while the smell has improved in recent months, "certainly straight after the fire things were pretty dire".
"It was really horrible."
While clearing out the mess has proved challenging, the crew has been working at pace, said Helen Beaumont, Christchurch City Council head of Three Waters, said.
"We're well ahead of schedule on emptying the trickling filters out so we're delighted by that," she said.
“We've been a little behind schedule on getting the interim treatment plant up and running now everything's commissioned and running well.”
Beaumont said the material has since been “crushed, chipped, taken up to Kate Valley [Landfill]”.
Williams said crews will are currently waterblasting the second trickle filter, before engineers can come in to assess the damage.
The council has since committed a further $180,000 to extend support for schools and residents still affected by the smell. It comes in addition to the $1 million financial aid package approved in May.
An independent investigation this week also confirmed dark stains appearing on nearby buildings are a result of hydrogen sulfide emitted from the plant.
The council said the discolouration can be removed by washing affected buildings with a chlorine solution.
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