UPDATE: 11 September 2019 – Due to a clash of events, the wastewater treatment plant visit has been rescheduled to Saturday 21 September, a week later than previously scheduled. Council apologises for this change in plan.
06 September 2019
South Wairarapa District Council is inviting residents to attend a site visit to the Greytown and Featherston wastewater treatment plants. The trip is proposed to go ahead on Saturday 14 September at 1pm, with the following Saturday set aside in the event of bad weather. Attendees can make their own transport arrangements to the sites or book a seat on a bus that will be provided by Council.
The purpose of the visit is to demonstrate to residents how the Greytown irrigation system works and give an idea about what to expect with the proposed upgrade of the Featherston Wastewater Treatment Plant. SWDC aims to progressively move to discharging the town’s treated wastewater to land rather than waterways in an effort to clean up Donald’s Creek and Lake Wairarapa.
It is hoped the field trip will help answer some of the outstanding questions that have been raised by submitters during the resource consent application process for Featherston. Council Chief Executive Harry Wilson says, “We’re keen for the community to have the opportunity to get a real feel for how the irrigation to land scheme will operate.
“We are passionate about cleaning up our moana and we want to do this in a way that has minimal effects on the environment. We are working closely with technical specialists to ensure we are on a pathway that meets this goal and supports the objectives of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, Greater Wellington Regional Council’s Natural Resources Plan, the Ruamahanga Whaitua process, and Regional Public Health standards,” Mr Wilson says.
Mr Wilson will be joined by SWDC Assets and Operations Manager Lawrence Stephenson on the field trip, where they will talk attendees through the workings of the two treatment plants (Greytown first, then Featherston), and answer any questions that arise.
Since lodging its application with Greater Wellington Regional Council, SWDC’s technical specialists have been investigating higher levels of wastewater treatment to reduce pathogens to an acceptable level. These investigations are in response to a request by the independent Hearings Panel, which will decide on SWDC’s consent application, and are in line with the views of many Featherston residents who expressed the need for a higher level of treatment in submissions lodged during the consent process, and during the six community engagement sessions held in July.
People interested in visiting the wastewater treatment plants on Saturday 14 September are required to register their interest with Council by emailing ftnwater@swdc.govt.nz or calling (06) 306 9611 (ext 865) by 12pm on Wednesday 11 September. Please advise how many people plan on attending, and whether you will be arranging your own transport or requiring seats on the bus. Further details will be provided to those registered, including where to park private vehicles, and the need to wear suitable footwear.
The bus will depart from a central Featherston location (to be confirmed with those registered) at approximately 1pm, travel to the Greytown Wastewater Treatment Plant, followed by the Featherston Wastewater Treatment Plant, and return to Featherston at about 4pm.
ENDS
Media contact
Amy Wharram
027 252 2863
