Ōpōtiki District Council holds a resource consent issued by
the Bay of Plenty Regional Council to discharge treated wastewater from the
Ōpōtiki Wastewater Treatment Plant on to land adjacent to the Waioeka Estuary.
The scheme discharges to land, which is generally considered a
more
beneficial way to discharge effluent
, both from a cultural and
environmental perspective.
Council’s consent expires in 2025 and it is seeking a new
consent. Alongside this process council will also consider upgrade and
development options to its current wastewater discharge scheme.
The council’s Group Manager of Engineering and Services,
Nathan Hughes said the existing wastewater treatment facilities have served the
Ōpōtiki community well, however the current setup is under a lot of pressure.
“It will not be up to the task in its current state going
forward. We want to make improvements within the next couple of years to
address challenges we face now, whilst also planning how the infrastructure can
serve us 50 years from now.
“This is why we’re seeking a new consent with new
conditions, to provide better outcomes for the community and environment and
not just a replacement consent with the same conditions.”
Council plans to lodge an application for consent by
December 2024 which includes the discharge of treated wastewater from oxidation
ponds to the sand dunes, and the discharge of odour from oxidation ponds.
“As part of the consent process there are environmental
testing, monitoring, and timeline objectives that we must hit. We have
technical specialists on board who have progressed through the early stages of
this work, helping us to understand in detail the constraints and potential of
the existing and alternative sites,” Mr Hughes said.
“Our focus is now turning toward community and stakeholder
engagement, sharing information, and informing our community of the options
ahead of us. We are interested in understanding what concerns our community,
interest groups and mana whenua have. What do they want us to consider within
this process and how can we involve them?”
“Our Wastewater Treatment Plant Project is now live on our
engagement website
Hono Mai | Connect
and is the go-to place for information and feedback.
“We’ll also have events and hui where all members of the
public can find out more and have their say. You can expect to hear more from
us on this project, in the coming weeks and months,” Mr Hughes said.
