Alternate wastewater system a winner

Construction of the Far North's first low-pressure sewerage system has been completed and is now fully operational at Opua.

This alternative to traditional disposal systems, services residents of Sir George Back Street left without adequate septic tank drainage fields following heavy rain and slips in the area in 2007.

The Far North District Council is now looking on the low-pressure alternative as a potential model for other small settlements with similar drainage and topography problems.

Acting Manager for Water & Wastewater Steve Cooper said today the Sir George Back Street project was also the first in the district to be installed with 50% government assistance under the Sanitary Works Subsidy Scheme.

"With subsidy assistance it meant the 12 properties were able to get the low pressure system installed at an average cost of $2300 per property. While the cost for property owners was still significant, it was substantially less than it would have been using a traditional drainage field system.

"In the majority of cases in Sir George Back Street, reinstating the drainage field was virtually an impossible proposition because of the slipping which had occurred," he said.

The low pressure system involves individual pumping systems on each property which feed household wastewater into a council sewage main linked to a treatment and discharge system.

Each property pays its own electricity costs, expected to be around $18 per year, and the same annual charge as applied to other council sewerage schemes across the district.

The new scheme has been warmly welcomed by local residents who have also praised the level of communication and assistance from the council, and the professional manner in which the Eco-Flow low pressure system was installed by the contractors, Transfield Ltd.