Himatangi Beach Community Sewerage Scheme - Project Update January 2012

Scheme Progress

Over the last six months Council has made significant progress towards implementing the Himatangi Beach Community Sewerage Scheme (HBCSS). The main activities undertaken during this period are described below.

Council appointed Lowe Environmental Impact Ltd (LEIL) as technical advisors to prepare resource consents applications for the discharge of treated wastewater onto pasture land around the proposed wastewater treatment facility, which is planned to be located approximately 1km to the north-east of the township. LEIL have also assisted Council with negotiations with landowners for the purchase of the wastewater treatment facility site and for the irrigation of adjoining land with the treated wastewater. Resource and Land Use consents have now been obtained for the new wastewater treatment facility as well as for a new crossing of the Kaikokopu Stream to enable access to the wastewater treatment facility.

Following the departure of Peterson Asante in June Council appointed a new project manager, Mike Fletcher, to manage the implementation of the scheme.

A number of technical investigations have been undertaken to provide further information on which to base the scheme design.

Expressions of Interest were obtained from 11 consortia of Contractors, Consultants and Pump Suppliers from which 5 tenderers were selected to tender for the design and build contract for the on-lot works, the community reticulation and the wastewater treatment plant.

Technical specifications for the pressure sewer system and the wastewater treatment plant have been developed by LEIL for incorporation in to the Tender documents. Tenders are due for return on 20 January. It is expected that a contract award will be made in March subject to finalising the subsidy payment arrangements with the Ministry of Health and completing negotiations for the purchase of the wastewater treatment facility site and the irrigation of adjoining land.

Next Steps

Council have sent out letters and questionnaires to all residents and property owners updating them on the progress of the scheme and to ascertain their interest in connecting to the scheme. This is to enable Council to schedule the inspection of existing drainage of those properties whose owners indicate they wish to join the scheme. On-lot inspections will then be undertaken of those properties.

At the time of the inspection the Council Inspector will agree with the property owner where the pump station unit and new pipeline to the property boundary will be located, as well as how much of the existing drainage can be utilised and what modifications will need to be made. He will also need to check whether the power supply is sufficient to handle the pump unit that needs to be installed and what reinstatement works are required.

Property owners will then be required to sign an agreement with Council confirming they will pay their share of the scheme cost as well as outlining the Council’s and property owner’s responsibilities. The cost of connection will be confirmed following submission of the tenders together with a range of payment options. Following receipt of the signed agreement Council will then submit Building Control applications on behalf of the property owners and manage the Building Control process.

It is expected that the community reticulation and wastewater treatment plant construction works will commence after the Easter 2012 holiday period with the on-lot works commencing later in the year.

Additional information will shortly be made available for the HBCSS on the Council’s new website. Until then for further information regarding the Himatangi Beach Community Sewerage Scheme please contact Mike Fletcher on 06 323 0818 or email: mike.fletcher@mdc.govt.nz