We’re happy to share that the desludging work at the Martinborough Wastewater Treatment Plant (MWWTP) is now complete.
Over the course of the project, 660 tonnes of sludge were removed and placed into geotextile bags (geobags) to dry out. Once testing confirms they’re ready, the dried material will be safely disposed of. The pond now needs time to settle before its new performance can be measured.
A big thank you goes to the Glasgow Contractors team who spent four months working on-site and made Martinborough their second home during that time. With the job done, they’ve packed up and are preparing to start desludging at the Greytown Wastewater Treatment Plant (GWWTP) later this year. The exact timing is still to be confirmed.
We’ve provided all the necessary information to Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) and are pleased to report that the abatement notice has now been lifted. Both councils will meet soon to plan the next steps.
While desludging doesn’t increase the plant’s capacity, it was a crucial step to improve operations, meet compliance requirements and reduce environmental and public health risks. We are actively exploring options to increase capacity, with funding allocated in the 2025-34 Long-Term Plan.
The next phase involves activating stages 2A and 2B of our resource consent. This includes negotiating the purchase of alternative land to Pain Farm for land-based discharge. Once stage 2A is underway, we will be able to discharge a higher volume of treated wastewater to land, a key move toward maintaining compliance.
We’ll continue to keep the community updated as we work with Wellington Water toward full compliance at the plant.
Coming up: Greytown wastewater treatment plant
Desludging at the Greytown plant is next on the list. A capacity study has been completed, and the findings will help guide future capacity upgrades. The ability to increase capacity is closely tied to irrigation to land, and funding for this work is included in the 2025-34 Long-Term Plan.
Glasgow Contractors, who completed the Martinborough project, were awarded the contract in March 2025 and will bring their experience to Greytown once the start date is confirmed.