Benefits of Te Puna sewerage system to be tested

Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

The quality of water near Te Puna is yet to be determined following the completion of an extensive wastewater scheme in the area.

The Te Puna Wastewater Reticulation Project was launched in 2015 when Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Onsite Effluent Treatment Plan required every property in Te Puna West to move from septic tanks to reticulated sewerage as a way to address water quality concerns in the area.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council utilities project manager Tuana Kuka says Regional Council water quality monitoring at the time indicated septic tank use was, at times, contaminating the Te Puna West foreshore.

'To comply with the OSET plan each property had to either; apply for a resource consent for their existing system, upgrade their existing system to an advanced system or be decommissioned and connected to a District Council or approved community sewerage reticulation scheme.

'Due to property lot sizes, high ground water and poor soil conditions meant that it was very difficult for a large portion of this community to comply with the OSET rules so WBOPDC has provided the community with a pressure sewer system.”

The project was completed in February 2018 and a total of 130 properties are now connected to the pressure sewer system.

Tuana says while the project is complete, its effect on water quality in the area is yet to be determined.

'No water quality testing has been undertaken by Western Bay of Plenty District Council. After a project like this is completed testing is not done until 12 months after.”

Tuana says feedback on the system however has been largely positive.

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