First Property Connected to EcoCare
Thursday 16 July 2009, 2:26PM
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On Wednesday 15 July Mangawhai celebrated the connection of the first household to the EcoCare Wastewater Scheme, 18 months after the first ‘breaking of the ground’ by Mayor Neil Tiller.
“EcoCare has been in development for some time and it’s great to have the first property hooked up to the system,” says Mayor Tiller
“The driving force in this project has been the protection of the environment - Mangawhai’s beautiful harbour and waterways, and EcoCare will deliver on this front”.
A wastewater treatment plant, as well as a reclaimed water storage dam, has been built plus over 35 kilometres of sewers, 10 pump stations and 12 kilometres of transfer pipeline have gone into place. Construction will continue for the rest of the year to extend the sewerage to connect areas of Mangawhai that have developed over the past five years and are additional to the original scope; however the system itself is ready for use. An “on farm” irrigation system is also being constructed and will be completed before the summer irrigation season.
“Having wastewater diverted from old septic tank systems into an eco-friendly community wastewater scheme will greatly reduce the likelihood of bacteria from badly treated waste entering the harbour and polluting it” says Mayor Tiller
“It will be especially helpful over the crowded summer period where wastewater problems have traditionally been worse. The wastewater will be treated to a high quality and will all be used by the “on farm” irrigation system, which is just great,” says Mayor Tiller.
Over 75% (approximately 1,900) of the properties in the EcoCare Drainage District will have a sewer connection available by the end of the year, including most residential-zoned properties. Council is also offering to provide house drainage connection to the sewer to approximately 1,200 of these properties which are eligible to benefit from the Sanitary Works Subsidy Scheme (for titles that existed before 23 March 2002), and which meet appropriate standards, at no cost to the property owner. These connections are expected to be completed by September.