Martinborough Wastewater Treatment Plant Connections
Updates
March 2025
Work to upgrade the Martinborough Wastewater Treatment Plant (MWWTP) has started and you may start to see increased movement in the area.
The MWWTP is currently working at capacity and in August 2022, received an abatement notice from the regulator, Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) due to non-compliant activity at the plant relating to:
· The exceedance of hydraulic load constraints when discharging to land and river, and
· Exceedances in E. coli and nutrient limits when discharging to the river.
This notice means that to achieve better environmental outcomes and minimise public health risk, a series of plant upgrades need to take place to work towards full compliance.
A ten-year staged programme of works is being led by Wellington Water on behalf of South Wairarapa District Council and aligns with the plant’s resource consent requirements which supports a gradual transition to land-based treatment rather than discharging into the rivers as currently takes place. The plant’s current resource consent expires in 2051.
The first task is to desludge or ‘pump out’ the pond which will remove the accumulated sludge from the bottom of the pond and reduce pond blockages. This best practice process is part of regular plant maintenance and while it will improve plant efficiency, it is not a solution that will address Martinborough’s capacity constraints for new connections.
Find out more about the desludging process here.
Resource Consent WAR 120258 Discharge Wastewater Permit – Key information
In the interests of full transparency, SWDC is re-releasing all the publicly available information provided by the council in the process of obtaining consent for land disposal of treated wastewater to Pain Farm. This includes the application and all appendices, the Officers Report from GWRC and the hearing commissioners’ report.
Pre-consent application work
12502_5_ATT4_Review and Assessment of Potential Upgrade Tech
Assessment of Environmental Effects and Appendices
12501_REPORT_FINAL_MWWTP_06042014
12502_Add01_MWWTP Management Plan Structure
12502_App1_SWDC Wastewater Strategy Outline
12502_App10_Section 107 Resource Management Act 1991
12502_App11_Low-Flow Ecological Effects Assessment_Forbes 2013
12502_App11a_Ryders_1
12502_App11b_Ryders_2
12502_App11c_Martinborough Raw Data
12502_App11d_Greytown Papawai Raw Data
12502_App11e_Greytown Ruamahunga Raw Data
12502_App11f_5 Featherston Raw Data
12502_App11g_Compilation of AEE review information_Forbes 2012
12502_App12_Forbes Mass balance calculations 2012_AWT Updated
12502_App13_South Wairarapa Integrated Wastewater Scheme Technical Review_AWT 2013
12502_App15_WCDP PlanChange_3_Decision
12502_App16_Land Application Pain Farm Assessment_LEI 2013
12502_App17_MWWTP Effluent Quality Assessment
12502_App3_Existing MWWTP Resource Consents
Attachment 8 – Land Treatment Option Assessment
Attachment 14 – A Maori Cultural Report for Martinborough Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade
12502_App4_Sludge Survey Report (Opus)
12502_App5_2012_13 Compliance Reports
12502_App6a_Draft Operations and Maintenance Manual Framework
12502_App6b_Draft Inflow & Infiltration Reduction Management Plan Framework
12502_App6c_Draft Effluent Discharge Management Plan Framework
12502_App6d_Draft Odour Management Plan Framework
12502_App6e_Draft Environmental Monitoring Plan Framework
12502_App7_Land Treatment Scenario Assessment_LEI 2014
12502_App9_Ecological Effects Assessment_EAM 2012
12502_Pt1B_Certificates of Title WWTP
12502_Pt1B_MWWTP Aerial and Valuation ID
App2 Options Assessment and Evaluation AWT 2013
GWRC Section 92 Further information required letter
SWDC Lowe further information supplied
Publicly Notified Hearing Information
1 Evidence KG Brian MWWTP
2 Evidence BT Coffey MWWTP
3 Evidence K Beecroft MWWTP
4 Evidence P Crimp MWWTP
5 Evidence M Alligham MWWTP
6 Evidence K Geange MWWTP
6A K Geange Track change recommendations
6B K Geange Supplementary note reduced term
BTCoffey MWWTP Rebuttal
Kerry Geange rebuttal evidence
Milne Preliminary legal submissions on behalf of SWDC
MWWTP Appendices
WAR120258_Officers_Report_
Interim Conditions Decision 14 March 2016
Martinborough Decision – Final Conditions 14 March
Table of Decisions on Comments 14 March 2016
Martinborough Decision – FINAL
Martinborough Decision – Interim Conditions
Martinborough Minute of Commissioners
MWWTP – Attachment 2 – JWS
MWWTP – Attachment 3 – Water Quality Conditions
MWWTP – Attachment 5 – CDC
MWWTP – Attachment 5 – MDC
MWWTP – Attachment 6
MWWTP – Attachment 7 – Supplementary report
MWWTP – Response to the panel
MWWTP website
Joint_Conditions_KG_and_NA_-Final
Joint_Planning_Statment_between_KG_and_NA_-Final
WEBSITE WAR120258_MWWTP_Summary_of_Submissions
Post-consent technical data
August 2023
Martinborough Wastewater Treatment Plant: Cancellation of Abatement Notice A1020
17 August 2023
On 12 May 2023 South Wairarapa District Council advised that effective immediately, applications for new wastewater connections in Martinborough are being put on pause in Martinborough for the time being. This is because the town’s wastewater plant has failed to meet performance and compliance standards.
An abatement notice received from Greater Wellington Regional Council (Greater Wellington) for the Martinborough Wastewater Treatment Plant (MWWTP) non-compliances required us to:
- Cease. And be prohibited from commencing all unauthorised discharges from the MWWTP,
- Submit a proposal for corrective actions to bring the WWTP into full compliance by 1 December 2022, and
- Comply by 15 August 2023.
Actions taken and the outcome
Our initial proposal submitted to Greater Wellington last December was not accepted while they assessed whether continued non-compliance would significantly impact on the environment, that is, whether a staged approach to corrective actions would be acceptable. Once it was confirmed that a staged approach was acceptable, we then worked with Wellington Water Limited (WWL) and Greater Wellington to develop a corrective action plan and contingency plan (in the event the corrective action plan does not achieve the results expected).
We are pleased to advise this has been accepted by Greater Wellington.
The agreed plan is focussed on addressing the immediate non-compliances related to the existing design and capacity of the plant over the next year, from August 2023 to August 2024, through the delivery of three separate packages of work. These are:
- Desludging planning
- Additional monitoring of wastewater to inform future upgrades
- Investigation and optimisation of the Ultraviolet disinfection equipment.
Next steps
During the implementation of the one-year programme we will be collecting information that will enable us to design for Martinborough’s growth capacity issue. To be clear, the one-year programme addresses compliance and getting us back to design capacity (which was based on zero population growth from 2016); it does not increase the capacity of the MWWTP for growth. The growth capacity programme will be confirmed off the back of the data being collected over this next twelve months.
The programme does not address land disposal capacity, which will be increased in future years. The current Stage 1B consent conditions that require discharge to land during lower river flow conditions remain difficult to fully comply with due to limited land available and its reliance on favourable weather conditions.
The budget for the one-year programme still sits at the amounts indicated in the Better Off Funding – Project Substitution Decision Report presented at the 7 June Council meeting and approved by Councillors in the 2023/24 Annual Plan. The full amount required will only be finally confirmed once a decision on geobag disposal for sludge is made and a sludge survey is completed.
The three new packages of work issued three ‘To Do’ abatement notices
In accepting our corrective actions plan and contingency plan, Greater Wellington on 15 August 2023 cancelled the original abatement notice issued in August 2022 and have now issued three ‘To Do’ abatement notices aligned with the three packages of work that will be cancelled as we complete the work.
Greater Wellington have incorporated two further requirements within the new abatement notices. On, or before, 28 February 2024 and 31 August 2024:
- Organise and hold two Community Liaison Group (CLG) meetings.
- Initiate contact with Rangitāne o Wairarapa and Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa to:
- Provide a summary of progress in meeting the requirements of ‘To Do Abatement Notices A1061 – A1063’; and
- Provide a proposal for, or any updates to, the development of a Tangata Whenua Values Monitoring Plan.
The MWWTP project team will now work towards delivering on the timeline agreed with Greater Wellington and creating appropriate milestones and forecasts so we can complete our Better Off Funding application for $500k.
Greytown Wastewater Treatment Plant
Planning is also underway on the desludging of Greytown WWTP at the same time as Martinborough, although it is not part of the formal abatement notice process we have been completing with Greater Wellington. As the Greytown site does not have the same designations in place as Martinborough, the timeline for consenting the disposal for that plant could extend beyond the original timing envisaged.
The issue
Applications for new wastewater connections in Martinborough are being put on pause in Martinborough for the time being because the town’s wastewater plant has failed to meet performance and compliance standards. This is effective immediately.
The plant has also reached its design capacity as population growth and annual connections have far exceeded expectations.
Significant performance and compliance issues resulted in Greater Wellington Regional Council (Greater Wellington) issuing an Abatement Notice for the plant in August 2022. The public health risk from previous discharges to the river is very low and independent specialists engaged by Greater Wellington assessed the environmental risks as negligible.
An abatement notice means the Council is required to act to remedy the identified issues and return the plant to compliance by a certain date and remain in compliance thereafter.
In addition, specialist advice from Council’s water services provider, Wellington Water Limited (WWL), is that additional connections would further compromise the plant’s performance, increasing the risk to the environment, public health and safety. There is also the possibility of more severe enforcement action from Greater Wellington.
This means that the Council is obliged to pause applications for new connections to the Martinborough Wastewater Treatment Plant (MWWTP) effective immediately.
Context
South Wairarapa District Council (asset owner), and our water services operator Wellington Water (asset manager), received an Abatement Notice from Greater Wellington Regional Council (our regulator) for the Martinborough Wastewater Treatment Plant in August 2022. Greater Wellington issued this due to the frequency of non-compliance discharges from the plant to land and water. Council has been instructed by Greater Wellington through the Abatement Notice to cease and be prohibited from commencing all unauthorised discharges from the MWWTP by 15 August 2023 and continue to comply thereafter.
It is worth noting that the public health risk from previous discharges is very low and independent specialists engaged by Greater Wellington assessed the environmental risks as negligible.
WWL, alongside South Wairarapa District Council, are urgently working on a delivery plan to bring the plant back to full compliance as soon as possible, while keeping Greater Wellington updated on progress. Greater Wellington have indicated that further enforcement action remains a possibility if the MWWTP is not operating within its consent conditions.
The plant requires significant investment to resolve the current consent non-compliances and Council is considering all options for this.
Why has this happened?
The MWWTP has been in operation since the 1970’s. The plant has not had the levels of investment needed over its lifetime to maintain its treatment capacity and operational resiliency. The MWWTP requires new pumps, Ultraviolet (UV) systems, screening and treatment systems, among other things. We have also seen higher than expected growth, both in terms of population and new service connections, since the resource consent was renewed in 2016. This has put extra pressure on the plant, pushing it beyond its capacity limits.
In addition, we have the impact of ageing infrastructure across the whole water network. A key issue is Inflow and Infiltration. This occurs when groundwater and stormwater find its way into the wastewater pipes, often due to leaky pipes underground or cross-connections. This increases the volume of water entering the treatment plant, particularly during periods of high rainfall, again pushing the treatment plant beyond its operational capacity.
What are we doing about it?
Council has prepared a Compliance Delivery Plan that sets out how Council plans to address the issues with the MWWTP. A compliance delivery plan is expected to be submitted to Greater Wellington by the end of May 2023 and, assuming it is accepted by them, funding will be secured, and work will begin.
The draft wastewater compliance plan includes a range of operational upgrades and improvements, which are still being finalised. Our estimate is that this will take up to two years and then will be followed by a second stage of work to increase capacity which will take several years to deliver. Growth studies to support the second stage of work will be carried out simultaneously with the compliance work over the next two years to fully inform design.
Funding for both components of the staged plan is not yet confirmed. Some initial funding to start work is included in our proposed 2023/24 Annual Plan, however, significant additional funding from either Council’s 2024-34 Long-term Plan (LTP) or via the new Entity post-Water Reform will be required.
Funding for the second stage, removing capacity constraints, will go through the appropriate consultation and approval processes for the 2024-34 LTP.
We will keep the community updated on key milestones as we and Wellington Water work together towards making the plant fully compliant.
What does this mean for local community and businesses?
This means that the Council is obliged to pause applications for new connections to the MWWTP effective immediately.
South Wairarapa District Council appreciates the impact this decision will have on developers and people seeking to build new homes in the region. We regret having to make this decision which we know will temporarily slow growth in the region. We will pause new connections for only as long as needed.
Council has already started working with customers who have a connection request in train to clarify their status. All permits, resource management and building consents that have been received and approved by Council will be honoured and a connection to the wastewater network made.
Documents
Martinborough Wastewater Treatment Plant Overflow Incident Investigation and Report – January 2020
Martinborough WWTP Abatement Notice – 15 August 2022
Memo – Martinborough WWTP Proposed Corrective Action Plan – 30 November 2022
SWDC Letter – Martinborough WWTP Abatement Notice Response – 1 December 2022
Martinborough WWTP Assessment of Effects During Remedial Works Project – 13 March 2023
Memo – Martinborough WWTP Capacity – 21 April 2023
Memo – MWWTP technical memorandum – 22 June 2023
Abatement notice A1064 – August 2023
Abatement notice A1065 – August 2023
Abatement notice A1066 – August 2023
Joint Review Report SWDC/WWL – September 2023
FAQs
Why haven’t we had more notice of this issue?
The Abatement Notice from Greater Wellington Regional Council has triggered this issue. Prior to that time and following the Abatement Notice, approvals from WWL for new applications for connection have been forthcoming.
WWL has now given us new technical advice. As a responsible territorial authority, we cannot risk further strain on the plant, with the consequential risks to mana whenua interests, the health of the waterways, public health, environmental impacts and legal action against the Council.
Why do we have to do this right now?
Specialist advice is that granting any new connections to a plant that is non-compliant and subject to an abatement notice carries a high risk. The Council has no other choice but to comply as recommended.
What alternative options to being connected to the town wastewater system (such as septic tanks) do new applicants for building consents have ?
A domestic on-site wastewater treatment and disposal system is an alternative to a direct connection to the wastewater treatment plant. Greater Wellington Regional Council is responsible for managing discharges to land, and are available to advise you on your options: www.gw.govt.nz/your-council/contact-us.
Greater Wellington’s proposed Natural Resources Plan has a permitted activity rule (Rule R63) for domestic on-site wastewater systems. If you are unable to meet the requirements of the permitted activity rule, then you may require consent.
What did Council do when it received the Abatement Notice?
15 August 2022 – Council received the Abatement Notice from Greater Wellington. Proposed corrective action plan commenced.
1 December 2022 – Council responded to Greater Wellington with a corrective action plan, as required.
13 March 2023 – Report from independent scientist to assess the effects of continued non-compliance with the land-discharge limits and efluent quality standards on water quality and ecology in the Ruamā hanga River.
21 April 2023 – WWL wrote to Council advising approvals for all new connections to cease.
All documents can be found on this page.
Isn’t some level of growth possible if we take immediate actions to improve the capacity of the plant?
South Wairarapa District Council and Wellington Water are taking immediate actions to improve the plant’s performance and bring it back to compliance, but this will take time and require significant investment.
The first step is to get approval from Greater Wellington on our compliance delivery plan and we will update the community again once this is achieved.
We will then keep the community updated on agreed key milestones as we work towards bringing the plant back to full compliance.
What if I already have a consent application in train – will it be approved?
South Wairarapa District Council appreciates the impact this decision will have on developers and people seeking to build new homes in the town. We regret having to make this decision which we know will temporarily slow growth in the region. We will pause new connections for only as long as needed.
The Council has already started working with customers who have a connection request in train to clarify their status. All permits, resource management and building consents that have been received and approved by Council will be honoured and a connection to the wastewater network made.
What happens if a developer has already invested in design and engineering work to lodge an application that will no longer be possible?
Companies and individuals considering new development, and who are currently preparing to make an application, should contact the Council and discuss their situation.
When will new connections be possible again?
We hope to have the Plant back to a compliant state within 24 months. At the same time, we will be working on a plan to increase the capacity of the plant to accommodate future growth.
The WWL advice is that new applications could be considered:
• After the plant is fully compliant
• When there is a plan in place to increase capacity
Council will make an assessment of the situation as each key milestone is met and will communicate their decision to the community at that time.
Do any other South Wairarapa wastewater treatment plants face the same risk in the future ?
Due to higher-than-expected growth in our region and the inflow and infiltration issues in our networks, we are facing the same design capacity constraints at all our South Wairarapa treatment facilities and are working closely with WWL to appropriately assess the requirements and incorporate the results into our investment planning.
Are any other councils facing a similar situation?
Yes, there is a precedent as Hamilton City Council is facing similar constraint issues within their three waters network and is currently reviewing their Connections Policy with a view that some applications for connection may need to be declined.
What does an Abatement Notice mean in legal terms?
An abatement notice is issued under section 322 of the Resource Management Act 1991. By failing to comply with the notice Council would be committing an offense under the RMA 1991. Irrespective of the notice, Council is still at risk of prosecution or other enforcement activity if the activity or inactivity in question contravenes the RMA, a resource consent, or a rule under a Plan. Greater Wellington has the right to pursue additional or alternative enforcement action at all times.
What are Council’s next steps?
South Wairarapa District Council and Wellington Water are taking immediate actions to improve the plant’s performance and bring it back to compliance, but this will take time and require significant investment.
The first step is to get approval from Greater Wellington on our compliance delivery plan and we will update the community again once this is achieved.
We will then keep the community updated on agreed key milestones as we work towards bringing the plant back to full compliance.
