Sign In / Register
A blessing was held at the Wellsford wastewater treatment plant last week as work started on a $38.3 million upgrade.
Watercare operations controller Daniel Leighton says the work will improve the quality of the treated wastewater, meet incoming stricter resource consent requirements and population growth demands, and better cope with peak flows in wet weather.
Part of the upgrade involves installing membrane-aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology.
“These new technologies use microorganisms to improve the nitrogen removal process, resulting in cleaner water being discharged into the Te Awa o Hōteo/Hōteo River and the surrounding environment,” Leighton says.
He says any pathogen that does make it through the membranes then has to face ultraviolet disinfection, which kills the vast majority.
“This results in a much higher quality wastewater being discharged to the environment than what the existing plant can achieve. MABR is relatively new technology for the treatment of wastewater.
Watercare installed the country’s first MABR in Helensville last year and its performance has continued to exceed expectations.”
Watercare capital delivery general manager Suzanne Lucas says the upgrade will be built using modular design and principles, where each part will be built separately and joined together at the plant.
“Opting for a modular design allows us to incorporate existing infrastructure into the new build, reducing construction time and carbon emissions,” Lucas says.
“It also provides greater flexibility to scale up and update technology to meet future needs and accommodate population growth.”
Traffic management will be in place for about 300 metres on either side of the project site, and will include a temporary speed limit of 50km/h.
The plant is expected to be up and running before the end of 2026.
