District in good environmental shape

Taupo District is in great environmental shape this summer. Services provided by the Council, such as recycling and wastewater maintenance, are all contributing to a healthy summer for the town, however, water demand is high.

Taupo’s kerbside recycling service is being increasingly well utilised by the community. Taupo District Council’s refuse collection data shows a steady increase in the volume of recyclables collected each week.

During the first week and a half of this year, Council’s kerbside recycling contractors collected 150 tonnes of glass – the same amount as was collected during the entire month of December 2007.

Plastic recycling is also at high levels. In 2007, Taupo District created 75 tonnes of recycled plastic which was then shipped offshore to be used in the manufacture of new plastic items. Council’s Solid Waste Officer, Brent Aitken, says it takes almost 1.8 million milk bottles to make that amount of recycled plastic.

The new Resource Recovery Centre at the Broadlands Road Landfill has been a big success since it opened last November. The centre has an improved recycling area, a re-use shop and a recovery pit which all help reduce the amount of rubbish being dumped in the landfill.

The re-use shop provides the community with the opportunity to purchase re-useable items and is becoming increasingly popular with those who realise that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.
Also proving successful is the Council’s wastewater maintenance programme. Regular water-blasting of the sewer mains and other known problem areas has resulted in a significant reduction in sewer and pump blockages. These problems usually occur more frequently in summer due to the temporary growth in population. Holiday wastewater flows have risen by around 30 percent in Taupo and up to 300 percent in Kinloch. Electrical faults at the wastewater treatment plants have also been prevented by the maintenance work.

Water demand has also increased by 300 percent during the summer season. This is predominately caused by a sharp increase in holiday population in combination with the need for garden irrigation during the hot, dry weather. While the water supply system is coping with the current levels, the demand is continuing to rise and the town’s water pumping capacity is starting to be stretched.

Residents and holidaymakers are reminded that watering lawns and gardens is best done in the early morning or evening on no more than alternate days, and sprinklers should be regularly moved to avoid over-watering. Preferably, watering systems should be connected to a timer as a forgotten sprinkler wastes more than a 1000 litres per hour.

The Council commends the community and its contractors for their efforts in keeping the town in top shape during the peak period.