The source of a foul stench “permeating” Pāpāmoa and Arataki has been confirmed – and it’s not going away in a hurry.

Locals have taken to social media in recent days to describe the “super disgusting” smell.

“Driving past Bayfair yesterday arvo I couldn’t bear it, almost had a vom in the car!” one said.

Another said the smell made it impossible to breathe outside and was “seeping into my home”.

“Is permeating the entire suburb, smells like sewerage.”

Tauranga City Council today linked the “strong odours” to operational issues at the Te Maunga Wastewater Treatment Plant.

“The plant is currently recovering from a discharge into the sewer network that has disrupted the biological processes used to treat wastewater,” the council said in a statement this morning.

“These processes are critical to the plant’s operation, and their temporary impairment has resulted in increased odour emissions.”

The council was investigating the source of the discharge.

It was also working to stabilise the treatment process and “minimise odour impacts on the community”.

“It is expected that odour levels will gradually reduce over the next two to three weeks as the plant returns to its usual operating rhythm.”

The council said upgrades happening at the plant were designed to improve its resilience to these types of events.

Treated wastewater continued to be safely discharged to the ocean in compliance with consent and regulatory standards, it said.

Built in 1996, the Te Maunga Wastewater Treatment Plant’s average daily flow is 20,000 cubic metres.

Treated wastewater is discharged into the ocean via a 950m long pipe buried offshore from Pāpāmoa.

It is one of two wastewater treatment plants serving the city.