Funding will Help Upgrade Local Water Supplies

Kaipara District Council has received funding to the tune of $800,000 from the Government’s Capital Assistance Programme (CAPs), which will help make possible upgrades to Maungaturoto and Ruawai’s water supplies in the near future.

“We are very pleased to have obtained this funding”, says Kaipara District Council’s Water Portfolio holder Councillor Brian McEwing.

“It will cover almost the entire cost of bringing Maungaturoto’s water treatment facility into the twenty first century, as well as paying for a new treatment plant for the Ruawai community”.

The Capital Assistance Programme is a Ministry of Health initiative which works to ensure all New Zealander’s have safe drinking water. It is distributed through Northland Health and is aimed at communities of between 100 and 500 people, so many parts of the Kaipara are ideal candidates.

“Council applied for CAPs funding back in October 2008, as we knew we had to make improvements to both Maungaturoto and Ruawai’s water supply. Being chosen for the programme will help take the financial burden for this work off the ratepayer”.

It is hoped that the upgrade to the new treatment plant is up and running in Ruawai before March 2010.

“Ruawai’s current water supply plant has been of concern to the community and we are aiming to get the upgrade completed as soon as possible”, says Mr McEwing.

The work on Maungaturoto’s water treatment facility will see the replacement of 30 year old equipment, modernising it to the latest specifications. Although work at Maungaturoto will not be as extensive as Ruawai’s it will help secure the water supply into the future.

“We hope to see a significant improvement to both water supplies” says Mr McEwing.