Watercare programme lacks transparency and detail

The state of infrastructure in north Rodney, particularly wastewater systems, was raised several times in submissions to the draft Rodney Local Board annual plan, which is due to be adopted in its final form later this month.

When Mahurangi Matters approached Watercare, a Council Controlled Organisation of Auckland Council, for an interview to discuss these issues, we were asked instead to supply written questions.

A summary of Watercare’s responses are summarised below, although the organisation declined to comment on the overall condition of wastewater infrastructure in Rodney, nor would it say what it had identified as priority issues.

Through a “spokesperson”, Watercare said it intended to communicate with communities about major initiatives through discussion and consultation, as required, before and during the resource consent process. On individual projects, a major point of contact would be the Rodney Local Board, then other groups and individuals as appropriate.

Overall, Watercare said it was planning capital expenditure of $61 million on wastewater infrastructure in the former Rodney District Council area over the next 10 years, but declined to specify where or when that money would be spent.
Mahurangi Matters’ questions were based on information contained in a 2010 report to the former Rodney District Council, prepared by Council officers and GHD Ltd, which summarised both the water and wastewater issues facing Rodney.

Warkworth

What the 2010 report said:
The predicted increase in population will result in pressure on the wastewater treatment process and also the need for extensions of the existing pipe network to service new development. The current network also has components that are under-performing. Some of the older pipes are in poor condition resulting in blockages and need frequent cleaning. Many of the pipes are subject to the infiltration of stormwater which can cause overflows and unnecessarily increases the volume of wastewater entering the treatment plant. Over the next 10 years problem pipes will be upgraded, new pipe systems (PWC) will be installed to service growth areas and the treatment plant will be upgraded. An estimated total cost of these works is $12.4 million.

What Watercare said:
This plant has current consents and was upgraded by Rodney District Council. The next major upgrade is scheduled to begin in 2017. In the interim, some additional aeration equipment is being installed to improve the ammonia reduction capacity of the plant. The plant is performing as designed and complies with consents.

Wellsford/Te Hana

What the report said:
A resource consent is required to discharge treated effluent into the Hoteo River. This consent is in the process of being renewed. Currently the treatment plant cannot perform well enough to meet the expired consent limits i.e. the water we are discharging into the river still has unacceptably high levels of nutrient in it which could potentially be harmful to the environment. Another area that needs addressing is the capacity of the system. Two of the six pump stations need more storage capacity and critical parts of the pipe network are already at capacity and require upgrading.

What Watercare said:
Rodney District Council submitted applications for consent renewals and these are being progressed by Watercare. The plant offers primary and secondary treatment, however, it is affected by variable flows from the stockyard. Work to de-sludge the ponds was completed last month. The sludge is being stored onsite in geobags. These bags will allow the sludge to dry out before being moved to landfill. The plant has not reached capacity and further upgrade work is scheduled for 2014.

Matakana/Omaha

What the 2010 report said:
Matakana suffers more pump station overflows in wet weather than any other wastewater network in Rodney. To reduce the infiltration of stormwater, Council will replace the existing pipework with a new pressurised wastewater collection system. We do not own suitable land in the vicinity to build a treatment plant so instead will decommission the plant constructed on leased land and pipe the effluent to Omaha for treatment. This will necessitate the construction of a pump station and extra pipes. The total cost is estimated at $2.9 million. The current treatment plant will not be able to cope with this additional loading. An upgrade of the treatment plant to accommodate the loading from Matakana and further predicted growth will cost of $1.7 million.

What Watercare said:
Preliminary work to install a pipe to transport wastewater from Matakana to Omaha is underway. Physical works are expected to begin late this year or early next year, with completion in 2012. Watercare is maintaining an ongoing dialogue with affected and interested parties. The plant in Omaha can cope with the increase in load and all relevant consents are in place. The next upgrade is scheduled to start in 2013. Any decision to build a sewer network for Leigh or Whangateau would be dependant on Council’s growth priorities as per the Auckland Plan and more detailed planning undertaken by Auckland Council.

Snells Beach/Algies Bay

What the 2010 report said:
The resource consent will expire in 2011 and it is anticipated that the new consent will have more stringent conditions, which the treatment plant will not be able to meet. Over the next 10 years problem pipes, and the Martins Bay pump station, will be upgraded to control odour and failure problems. The treatment plant will also require an upgrade to ensure it can treat the wastewater to the levels identified in the new consent. This will ensure that when the treated effluent is discharged into the sea it will have no adverse environmental impact. These works have an estimated total cost of $6.9 million.

What Watercare said:
Consents at the plant are current and applications for renewal will be lodged later this year. The next upgrade is scheduled to start in 2020 and will involve replacing the ocean outfall. While there are odour reports at Martins Bay, these do not originate from the outfall but are related to the network. Watercare is currently investigating solutions to address these odour issues.

Published October 19 2011