Projects / Featherston Wastewater Treatment Plant (new consent application)

Featherston Wastewater Treatment Plant (new consent application)

Overview
Current status
Background
Documents
All Updates

We’re seeking a new consent for the Featherston Wastewater Treatment Plant on behalf of the South Wairarapa District Council.

Start Date
3/01/2022
Contact:

If you have any questions about this work, please contact:

Wellington Water, 04 912 4400

Latest Updates

22 December 2023

Work continues on the new resource consent, along with water quality monitoring and a pilot trial of a new water clarification technology.

1 May 2023

Consent lodged

1 February 2023

Consent lodgment delayed till May

We are working on providing Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) with further information about the application under section 92 (s92) of the Resource Management Act. This is a normal part of the resource consenting process.

We have  responded to the majority of s92 questions. Following discussions and engagement with GWRC, we are doing further work during this summer to inform the responses to remaining questions within s92.

Wellington Water is seeking a consent for the Featherston wastewater treatment plant on behalf of the South Wairarapa District Council.

We came on board in 2020 to support the Council in achieving its regulatory and strategic objectives for future management of Featherston’s wastewater.

Why?

The wastewater treatment plant needs a new consent to allow continued discharge of wastewater to Donalds Creek. An application for this was lodged with Greater Wellington Regional Council in May 2023. We are currently working through a section 92 (s92) request from the Council under the Resource Management Act for further information about the application. This is a normal part of the resource consenting process. 

The Proposal

The proposal is to undertake a series of upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant along with installing a constructed wetland and vegetated land contact area and implementing land treatment through a land application system trial, to improve the wastewater effluent discharge quality.

An initial short-term (likely 10 year) resource consent is being sought from Greater Wellington Regional Council to continue to discharge treated wastewater to Donalds Creek. This will give the South Wairarapa District Council sufficient time to implement the upgrades, to test and refine the land application system prior to further expansion of the land treatment area and to inform the long-term wastewater treatment solution. 

The monitoring and testing of these upgrades will help inform the long-term investment and support the transition to full land-based treatment over time.

While affordability is a big factor, this needs to be balanced with environmental, cultural and social outcomes. That is why the proposal provides for testing and monitoring that takes place throughout the initial consent period, which will then inform the long-term approach to treatment options and investment.

The proposal includes:

  • Upgrading and improving the performance of the existing plant through introduction of inlet screening and pond upgrades
  • New clarification treatment process to reduce suspended solids in the wastewater discharge
  • Land application system trial
  • Introducing a wetland and vegetated discharge area to provide additional polishing of treated effluent prior to being discharged into Donalds Creek.

You can download a PDF of the diagram below here 

 

Wider context

This proposal is also part of a wider programme of operational and project investments by the South Wairarapa District Council helping address a range of water network issues impacting the Featherston community.

Addressing the wastewater treatment plant issues will benefit the wider South Wairarapa community, with the improved environmental outcomes and catering for growth in the region and confirmation of technology and natural-based solutions that could be installed at other points in the network if proven to work.

All Updates

22 December 2023

On 1 May 2023, Wellington Water lodged the new resource consent application for the Featherston Wastewater Treatment Plant with Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC), on behalf of the South Wairarapa District Council.

On 11 July 2023, GWRC issued a further information request under section 92 (s92) of the Resource Management Act. A s92 request for information is a normal part of the resource consenting process. Since July, Wellington Water has responded to the majority of s92 questions. Following discussions and engagement with GWRC, further work will be undertaken this summer to inform the responses to remaining questions within s92. This additional work includes further water quality monitoring to take place this summer, with final data analysis and modelling to be presented to GWRC by May 2024.

While we complete water quality monitoring, we’ll also trial a pilot Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) unit. This water clarification technology is proposed as part of the upgrades to the Featherston Wastewater Treatment Plant. A DAF assists with the removal of suspended solids and other
chemicals in the wastewater, improving the level of treatment the wastewater receives prior to being discharged to the environment.

Waipawa Wastewater Treatment Plant DAF Plant

The trial will provide valuable data regarding the effectiveness of this treatment technology for the Featherston Wastewater Treatment Plant conditions. This data will allow us to further refine the technical assessment and assumptions made around wastewater quality. It will also improve understanding of the potential environmental effects of the wastewater discharge on Donald’s Creek when a new clarification plant is installed.

Once this work is complete and the full response to the s92 is submitted to GWRC, the application will be publicly notified by GWRC. At this time, the community will have the opportunity to have their say through a submission process. Here is a link to more information about the resource
consent process: Featherston Wastewater Treatment Plant Consenting Process

We thank the community and our mana whenua iwi partners who have provided significant and critical input into the consent application so far. The installation of treatment technologies and natural-based solutions, such as constructed wetlands and land treatment along with upgrades to the Wastewater Treatment Plant, are aimed at addressing operational issues which once implemented will benefit the South Wairarapa community through improved environmental outcomes.

1 May 2023

On 1 May 2023, we lodged the new resource consent for the Featherston Wastewater Treatment Plant with Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC), on behalf of the South Wairarapa District Council.

As agreed with GWRC, the 1 May 2023 lodgment date was an extension on the original January 2023, which has allowed time for further summer monitoring, testing of groundwater and further collaboration with iwi on the wetland concept that is proposed as part of the consent.

We are now working with GWRC to discuss any questions and provide clarifications. In due course the consent will be publicly notified by them, and the community will have the opportunity to have their say. 

Thanks are due to the community and to mana whenua for their significant and critical input into development of the proposed consent. It has been a long time coming and lodgment of the consent, marks the beginning of positive changes.

Addressing the wastewater treatment plant issues will benefit the wider South Wairarapa community, by improving environmental outcomes, enabling regional growth, and testing of  technology and natural-based solutions that could be installed at other locations in the future.

1 February 2023

Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) has agreed for the new resource consent application for the Featherston wastewater treatment plant to be lodged in May.

The consent was due to be lodged in January 2023. 

However, following consultation with the regional council, it will be lodged at the end of March to allow for further summer monitoring and testing of groundwater and further co-design of the wetland that is proposed as part of the consent.

 

 

 

1 November 2022
1 September 2022
1 September 2022
1 September 2022

Featherston Wastewater Treatment Plant - Actual and predicted population growth 

Wellington Water is jointly owned by a number of councils, including South Wairarapa District Council (SWDC) since October 2019. Wellington Water’s role includes managing wastewater services, aiming to deliver through the
shared service approaches, cost savings, resilience and expertise benefits to councils and their communities. The project aims to consider and identify the preferred option to improve the management of Featherston’s wastewater disposal. We want to achieve this goal through thorough consultation and collaboration with the community and stakeholders

12 November 2020