rivettingKateTaylor

What’s happening to Central Hawke’s Bay’s waste water? Where does the poo go when you go to the loo in Waipukurau and Waipawa?

The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council will be closely monitoring the progress of Central Hawke’s Bay District Council’s sewerage system upgrade, says a press release they sent out last week after the CHB District Council announced it was going with a $6 million floating wetlands proposal instead of distributing “it” within a new forest to be planted by the Regional Council (Kate’s simplification of what the plan actually was – correct version below).

HBRC says it will be writing to CHB District Council to ensure it meets its resource consent conditions for wastewater discharge with the latest solution.

This is what the press release went on to say…

HBRC had offered to assist CHB District Council with a land-based sewage treatment solution to wastewater which, subject to consent would have meant the wastewater was out of the Tukituki River this summer, when it has the major impact on water quality. However CHB District Council has rejected this solution in favour of the cheaper floating wetland proposal.

HBRC Chief Executive Andrew Newman says CHB District Council will need to satisfy HBRC that the design of the floating wetlands proposal will deliver the required standards by deadline of 2014.

“We will be writing to the Central Hawke’s Bay District Council to reiterate the requirement for it to meet the required standards of its discharge consent within two years,” says Mr Newman.

HBRC had purchased land and planted it for use as part of the proposed land-based sewage treatment solution and offered to have staff manage the project to ensure it was completed in the required timeframe.

Mr Newman says HBRC will retain the land as it was purchased and planted as part of the organisation’s overall forestry investment portfolio with the understanding CHBDC may not use it for its wastewater system.