In the case of the city of Christchurch in New Zealand, earthquake damage from the 2011 earthquake caused the underground water table to raise and leak significantly in places, preventing reconstruction of damaged buildings. Many former residential areas in eastern Christchurch suburbs have been purchased by the government and demolished, as the soft soil causes the houses to shift and pose significant danger to the inhabitants. It is unknown if many of the waterlogged areas of Christchurch will ever fully recover.