Council continues investigating wastewater options
Published on 12 June 2015
12 June 2015
Mayor Annette Main today said the Wanganui District Council has agreed to continue to delay construction of the approved wastewater treatment plant design to enable further work on affordability and sludge management to be completed.
“In our 10-Year Plan 2015-2025 we are signalling that construction could be delayed for up to three years because we need to ensure we have all the information on options and costings to make the right decision for our community,” Mayor Main said.
“However, the plant could be built sooner if we find the right solution. Our community, through our 10-Year Plan consultation process, indicated support for this prudent approach.
“The issue we need to consider is whether the approved design is affordable. The affordability hinges on how we manage the sludge that the plant will generate and how much it will cost to operate.
“The Council recently received an update on investigations into sludge management options. Sludge management and disposal is probably the largest variable cost in the proposed plant’s operating budget. We needed to consider all available and practical options as they apply to the current Horizons’ consent and the approved design which recovers capital from the failed plant.
“The work that has been done on the various options means we have been able to discount a number of them as unfeasible both in terms of practicality and potential cost to the community.
“The next step is to further investigate the options which are still in the mix and the Council has given approval to look in detail at options to add capital equipment and enhance biological processes. We’re also doing more work around affordability for both our residents and businesses.
“We are also continuing to work with our trade waste industries to make progress towards a new Trade Waste Bylaw.
“We will build the new treatment plant as soon as we have an affordable, sustainable and environmentally sound solution for our community.”