Wastewater Discharge Consents Granted to NPDC

Independent hearing commissioners have granted four resource consents to New Plymouth District Council, which were sought as part of the New Plymouth and Waitara sewerage upgrades.

The consents are for the discharge of:

• 11,950m3 of treated wastewater from the Waitara Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWWTP) via a marine outfall (until 1 June 2017).
• Screened and disinfected municipal wastewater via the Waitara marine outfall during the conversion of the WWWTP into a pump station (until 1 June 2017).
• Treated effluent from the New Plymouth Wastewater Treatment Plant (NPWWTP) via a marine outfall (for 30 years).
• Untreated municipal wastewater from the Waitara pump station via a marine outfall during extreme high-flow events (for 30 years).

 

The first two consents allow for the continuation of treated effluent discharge via the Waitara marine outfall and the subsequent Waitara treatment plant conversion until the commissioning of the Waitara to New Plymouth pipeline, expected in 2013/14. After this, the two consents will be relinquished.

The consents place more extensive monitoring and review requirements around the New Plymouth discharge.

NPDC Manager Water and Wastes Brent Manning is pleased with the result.

“We are happy with the conditions attached to the consents as they generally reflect what was applied for and discussed with submitters and Taranaki Regional Council before and during the hearing,” he says.

“If there are no appeals to the Environment Court, we will be in a position to let the contract for the upgrade of the New Plymouth treatment plant’s two aeration basins in the New Year.”

The appeals period ends on 8 December.