The failure of the project was not an isolated incident, but the result of a failure to analyze overall risks. According to the main source, the New Zealand Business Review, the collapse of the Moa Point treatment plant could have been avoided. The lead investigator stated that risks associated with a critical project were overlooked, comparing the situation to a surgeon operating on a patient without carefully assessing potential complications.

According to the data provided, approximately 14 billion liters of raw sewage were pumped into the ocean following the plant failure on February 4. The independent government review released on Wednesday identified systemic governance failures, attributed to six recommendations regarding accountability, communication, and infrastructure management. The company stated that the problem occurred during critical upgrade works on the UV disinfection system, carried out through two channels.

These final treatment channels were necessary to comply with resource consents, but their installation significantly reduced the plant's capacity. Consequently, a larger volume of sewage was sent through a bypass pipe, where in conditions of heavy rain and massive sewage flows, air bubbles caused a blockage and flooding. The review lead, Raveen Jaduram, emphasized that while risks were reported regarding the UV system itself, none considered broader risks for the entire plant.

Jaduram made a comparison similar to that of a surgeon operating on a heart: one does not only look at the risks of the operation, but asks if there are complications in other organs such as the kidneys. The risk analysis for the UV project was conducted, but not for the entire plant as an integrated system. Another identified element is that there were so many actors involved: Wellington Water, Veolia, and Filtec, with Wellington City Council as owner and resource consents holder.

No entity seemed to have a complete picture of the project, while the plant operated. While risks with sewage flows within the plant during construction were identified by Veolia, flood risks were not raised. Floods in July 2025 and January 15, 2025 were not identified as crucial warnings.

Local Minister Simon Watts declared that the failure was a governance problem, agreeing with Mayor Little to keep others on guard.