Raglan’s wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharge consent expires in February 2020. Council as the asset owner is now working on its application to Waikato Regional Council, who is the regulatory body that issues resource consents.
Assessing the options available to us makes up a large part of the investigations required for the consent application process. Therefore, Council has engaged planning, environmental and engineering experts Beca to assist us in putting together our resource consent application, along with other specialist sub-consultants to help with land suitability, marine modelling, public health and coastal ecology investigations and assessments.
Council are now seeking to engage with iwi, stakeholders and the public. Initial discussions have been held with local iwi and the community board. Stakeholders that are identified as having an interest will be directly communicated with soon as we work through this process. The wider community will also have the opportunity to be kept informed and discuss the project with our team at public drop-in sessions (see the dates below).
Let the project team know you would like to be kept updated by emailing info@waidc.govt.nz, we will add you to our email updates.
The table below represents a short list of mitigation options. This focus allows our project team to concentrate on necessary investigations required for the final discharge application of treated wastewater. The application will include a ‘preferred option’ from this list, where under the Resource Management Act (RMA), the application will also need to outline why other potential mitigation methods were discounted.
Existing outfall - modified with diffuser
Existing ponds & UV, Incl TSS removal
Extend existing harbour outfall into channel
Existing ponds & UVExisting ponds & UV, Incl TSS removal
Ocean outfall - the current LTP solution
Existing ponds & UV
Land discharge- Most of flow to land (drier periods)- Wetter periods to sandy soils (higher flows) – infiltration, passing through land into harbour- Contingency discharge to harbour
Combined option- Slow rate irrigation (deficit irrigation only) combined with an extension of the existing harbour outfall into channel to discharge high flows (when not suitable to discharge to land & storage is beaten)
March - April: Develop Strategy (consent and stakeholder engagement)
March - July: Develop and assess options
June - July: Confirm preferred option
August - September: Effects assessments of preferred option
September - October: Draft Assessment of Environmental Effects
October: Finalise Assessment of Environmental Effects
November: Lodgement
More details coming soon!
There were concerns raised when the existing pipeline was originally consented and concerns have since been raised about treated wastewater being discharged into the marine environment. There is also a requirement to investigate discharge options under the Resource Management Act (RMA).
As part of the preparation of this resource consent application, different options are being investigated to consider the treatment of the wastewater (this affects the quality of the water discharged) and the location of the discharge.
A number of public drop in sessions will be held which provide you an opportunity to discuss the project and the options with the project team. There will also be the opportunity for you to contribute to the sensitive sites maps (recreational use areas, food gathering/kaimoana areas, etc) at the drop in sessions.
Let the project team know you would like to be kept updated by emailing info@waidc.govt.nz, we will add you to our email updates
Due to the nature of the resource consent application Council believe this will most likely be publicly notified by Waikato Regional Council (WRC make the final decision on notification, so this decision is up to them). In the event an application is publicly notified anyone can make a submission to WRC on the application which will be considered when processing the application. In the event that the application goes to a hearing you can indicate in your submission if you would like to be heard at the hearing.
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