Featherston Wastewater Treatment Plant (new consent application)

We acknowledge that the Featherston community has been waiting a long time for a solution to the management of the town’s wastewater.

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

Since then, the Wellington Water Project team been working through a process – including engagement with the community, mana whenua and stakeholders during 2020 – to identify a fit-for-purpose solution.

Following engagement with mana whenua, the community, and stakeholders, the Project team presented a long list of wastewater treatment options to the Council. This was then further analysed, and a short list of wastewater treatment options was developed. South Wairarapa District Council found the options did not reflect the available budget and Wellington Water has since reviewed its approach and progressed a more cost-effective, fit-for-purpose, pragmatic solution.

It’s taken time to work through the key criteria and priorities before identifying a proposal that is both affordable for the ratepayers of South Wairarapa and that delivers on environmental, cultural and social outcomes.

The previous community engagement sessions and feedback from mana whenua have indicated that improved water quality, better environmental performance, enabling growthy and the use of natural processes are key considerations for the Featherston community.  

This feedback has been incorporated into the proposal that we are now developing and will be put forward in the new resource consent application to Greater Wellington Regional Council.

On 1 May 2023, Wellington Water lodged the new resource consent for the project 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. 

We value your feedback as it will help us assess whether the proposed solution meets your expectations, and we will give it consideration as we test and refine the proposal before lodging the consent application in January 2023. Feedback will also be useful in helping to shape the South Wairarapa District Council’s future investment in Featherston’s wastewater management.

Wellington Water Limited (on behalf of South Wairarapa District Council) will be lodging a new consent application for the wastewater treatment plant in January 2023.  This application will be fully publicly notified, and you will have an opportunity to make a submission on the application.

At this stage, it is not expected that the new consent will be approved until late 2023 at the earliest.

Should Wellington Water Limited be successful in obtaining a new consent for the proposal, work will start immediately on the treatment plant upgrades as funding has been set aside by the Council for the works to occur.

Part of the refinement and development of the proposal will involve a full costing. However, there is currently $17 million allocated to upgrading the treatment plant in the 2021/31 SWDC Long Term Plan

A land treatment process involves irrigation of the treated effluent onto pasture or other cropland. This is a natural process using the treatment capacity of the crop and soil to filter and manage nutrients (especially nitrogen and phosphorous) found in the treated effluent. The process helps keep these nutrients out of freshwater. A high concentration of nutrients can have a negative impact on the overall health and ecology of rivers and streams so including land treatment as part of the wastewater treatment process has environmental benefits in relation to improving freshwater quality.

The proposed area for the land treatment trial, which involves applying treated effluent either on or below the ground surface, is near the corner of Longwood Road and Murphy’s Line, to the east of Donalds Creek. The area is away from known flood zones. Buffer distances are also provided between the area being irrigated and Donalds Creek to give further separation.

The irrigation will be surface or subsurface – this means that it will be applied directly onto the ground or below the surface. There will be no spray irrigation.

The land treatment trial will be focussed on optimising irrigation rates to a sustainable, long-term amount. This means that we’ll be closely monitoring rainfall, soil moisture and groundwater, and determining when and at what rates irrigation can be applied without generating unacceptable effects to the water quality.

Given the uncertainties that always exist around predicting irrigations rates, the trial approach is the most appropriate means of ensuring that the long-term outcome is suitable for the environmental setting.

Irrigation is unlikely to occur during periods of flooding or high rainfall, unless it can be demonstrated that it won’t result in unacceptable impacts to water quality.

Given the uncertainties that exist around predicting irrigations rates, the trial approach is the most appropriate means of ensuring that the long-term outcome is suitable for this environment.