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Kaipara Flats’ social hub, the sports club and Ranfurly Hall, look set to get a new wastewater treatment plant and disposal field, Rodney Local Board members heard recently.
Healthy Waters project manager Manju Jose outlined the proposal, saying the existing sewage system was outdated, inadequate and its tanks were too small.
“We are planning to upgrade the existing wastewater treatment plant and disposal system because both are not in good condition,” she said.
“The tank is not able to hold that much, the quality of the effluent coming out of the treatment plant is not monitored and it’s not in good quality.
“The systems are not working properly, so it’s not functioning well.”
Jose added that the current treatment plant and disposal field were in a flood plain, and there were separate tanks for treating wastewater from the sports club and Ranfurly Hall.
“So now we are combining them into a single system and the capacity of the tank will be increased from 4000 litres a day to 5000 litres a day,” she said.
“The existing disposal area is 1500 square metres and we are proposing adding a thousand more to 2500 square metres.”
Healthy Waters also proposes adding three new ‘buffer tanks’ to store excess wastewater during peak times, such as sports matches and social events, and replacing the old single grease trap with a new 4500-litre triple chambered version.
Warkworth board members Tim Holdgate and Michelle Carmichael both asked Jose if she was aware that the sports club was planning to extend its facilities.
“I’m a bit concerned that the Kaipara Flats Sports Club wasn’t actually included in your engagement.
They are the leaseholder and it’s their building on that site,” Carmichael said. “I would have thought that engagement would have included checking who the leaseholders are on sites to actually see what the activity requirements are there.”
Healthy Waters senior specialist Dev Patel said any extension of the club could be a concern, as the area where the new disposal field could go was limited.
Jose reassured them that she was in touch with the rugby club and meetings were being planned.
Healthy Waters is hoping a resource consent application for the new treatment plant and disposal field can be lodged in October or November.
Gaining consent should take between three and six months, after which construction can be scheduled.
