Discharge removal commitment

MANAWATU District Council continues its commitment to removing discharge to the Oroua River during times of low flow, as the resource consent process and plans for significant improvements at the Feilding Wastewater Treatment Plant continue to take shape.

Infrastructure Group Manager Hamish Waugh said the resource consent application for new dual land-based treatment and river discharge at the Kawakawa Road site was well underway.

Mr Waugh said low flows typically took place in the summer months, with flows below 3.5 m3 per second.

“While excluding treated effluent discharge to the Oroua River during low flows is the minimum expected requirement of the consent, MDC is committed to removing as much discharge to the river as possible,” he said.

“And in addition to land it already owns, it has initiated discussion with a number of local land owners with a view to coming to an agreement to use their land for land treatment where practicable.”

He said council was committed to the Manawatu River Leaders Accord and this process was a large step in that direction.

Council held a consultation meeting last week with immediate land owners who had submitted on the resource consent application to overview the irrigation plans and land treatment system.

“This provided an early opportunity for immediately affected neighbours to hear council proposals, express their views and have some of their questions answered,” said Mr Waugh. “Possible consent conditions and requirements that council expect to be placed on them were also discussed.”

Mr Waugh said a pre-hearing with submitters, including a site tour, was planned for Monday, July 2, with the formal hearing planned for late November.

In addition to the new dual land based treatment and Oroua River discharge, MDC was currently spending in excess of $6 million on improvements to the treatment process within the waste water treatment plant to ensure the discharge to land and water was of the highest quality economically possible.