Win Win Solution Proposed for CHB Wastewater

The proposal for a land treatment system using forestry could be the new Central Hawke’s Bay wastewater disposal system and will help clean up the Tukituki River.

Hawke's Bay Regional Council has been working with Central Hawke's Bay District Council over the past 12 months to find an alternative solution to a large scale upgrade of the oxidation ponds which is required by 2014.

The disposal to land option has been described by both Councils as a ‘win win’, with a number of benefits for the environment and the community.

The proposed treatment onto land will benefit the Tukituki River almost immediately by removing phosphorous from water currently discharged from the oxidation ponds. Phosphorous in detergents and washing powders is a major contributor to algal growth in the river during summer low-flow periods.

Central Hawke's Bay District Council reviewed a number of alternative treatment options before deciding on the land option as the best way to remove wastewater entirely from the Tukituki River.

Central Hawke's Bay District Council Mayor Trish Giddens said the land option seems the right choice. “The new proposal could save CHB ratepayers millions of dollars in the cost of upgrading the Waipukurau and Waipawa Wastewater treatment systems. The two Councils have worked extremely hard to get to this stage”.

“It’s a creative solution to an age old problem as it has the potential to add amenity values to the district, as well as meeting the environmental needs of the Tukituki,” said Andrew Newman, Chief Executive of Hawke's Bay Regional Council.

Regional Council Chairman Alan Dick said, “There has been widespread community interest in getting a solution and groups such as the Hawke’s Bay Environmental Water Group have been listened to.”

Chairman Alan Dick added, “This solution is also fully consistent with the Regional Council’s new strategy of using investment funds to gain a triple-bottom-line benefit. That is, there will be a major environmental gain, an economic benefit with significant savings to CHB ratepayers plus the Regional Council will get a return on investment through carbon and forestry farming to continue to keep its own rates down.”

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has made conditional offers on 160 hectares of suitable land near the oxidation ponds, with a further 55 hectares under negotiation to purchase. Offers will be conditional on resource consents being granted and it is likely that an independent Commissioner will be used to hear the consent application.

Disposal to land is a proven method, used by Rotorua as a city 10 times the size of the CHB urban areas, and also by Waggawagga in Australia, which serves a larger urban area again. Both of these schemes are well-researched and documented.