NOTES OF THE MEETING WITH IMMEDIATE NEIGHBOURS OF THE HOMEBUSH
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT HELD IN THE MEETING ROOM AT THE
WAIRARAPA COMMUNITY CENTRE, 41 PERRY STREET, MASTERTON ON TUESDAY
27th SEPTEMBER 2016 AT 5.30 PM
Present
Neighbours
Roger Ternent, John Wardell, Peter Smith, Craig Bowyer, Peter and Ellen Martin, David
Holmes, Brian Cameron, Bruce Perry.
Masterton District Council
David Hopman (Manager Assets and Operations), Philip Evans (Senior Advisor Wastewater
Strategy & Compliance) and Anna Gilliland (Council Notetaker).
Apologies
None received.
Homebush Wastewater Treatment Plant Presentation
The Manager Assets and Operations gave a presentation noting the following.
The purpose of the meeting was:
• To give an update on construction and operations
• To communicate the findings of the Annual Report on plant performance
• To provide an update on the old pond stabilisation project
• To provide an update on additional disposal options
• To give neighbours an opportunity to raise any issues they may have and for
appropriate people from within the project team to answer questions
Main points to note:
• Construction update
» The border strips were commissioned last year, we have had one summer of
them being fully operational.
» 50,000m³ of sludge has been dewatered and landfilled compared to the
original estimate of 36,600m³.
» Up to 15,000m³ of sludge remains in the old ponds.
» In the process of developing a preferred option for management of this
sludge.
» Currently investigating options for additional treated wastewater land
disposal.
• Treatment Plant Operating Result for the 2015/16 Monitoring Period
» The discharged water quality complied with resource consents on all
occasions.
» The quantity of the discharge complied with resource consents.
» Live telemetry is providing treatment plant flow data directly to the Regional
Council.
» The land disposal system is working well, there are some problem areas but a
programme has been developed to improve function across all the border
strips.
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» Aquatic life in the Ruamahanga River has improved as more water is disposed
to land.
» Soil health is continuing to improve with baleage volumes increasing and
pasture improving.
Sampling Results 2015/16
» E coli readings in the Makoura Stream have improved as groundwater flows
from the old ponds are diluting stream concentrations.
» Nitrite and Phosphorus readings are improved in the Makoura Stream also
since direct discharge stopped.
» E coli readings in the Ruamahanga River are all within suitable levels for
recreational use.
» LAWA has re-rated the Ruamahanga River at the cliffs to low risk based on the
last three summer’s data. If similar results are achieved next summer, this will
drop into very low risk.
» QMCI was achieved this year at Wardell’s bridge, this is the first time since the
ponds were constructed. There was one pass and one fail downstream of the
diffuser. Council will look to achieve compliance over all monitoring sites in
the upcoming summer.
Border Strip Operation
» The average application rate for summer 2015/16 was 7.46mm (compared to
7.0mm in 2014/15. Consent maximum is 10mm average across the site.)
» Increased application rate is due to ongoing improvements in soil structure
and pasture cover, aeration to relieve compaction and an exceptionally dry
summer.
Old Ponds Project
» GWRC are happy that the sludge is not a significant environmental issue.
» Preferred option is stabilised planting, trials to confirm appropriate plants are
currently being undertaken.
» We are looking at options to create fish passage and a good habitat for bird
life.
» Will need to discuss the finalised plan with GWRC for consenting options.
Additional Disposal Options
» Approximately 17 hectares of additional irrigation capacity is required to
substitute for the abandoned M-Zone border strips.
» The Working Party has agreed on four options to investigate further;
 purchase more land,
 increase treatment to Fonterra Standard and dispose to the dairy
farm,
 irrigate the wastewater at current standard and dispose to the dairy
farm,
 irrigate to neighbouring farms by agreement.
» Additional land has been purchased but no decisions have been made yet on
what it will be used for.
» Integration with the Wairarapa Water project has been discussed. Connecting
into their reticulation network would be of benefit but they are approximately
five years away from construction.
Discussion
Q. Why is the soil health getting better?
A. This was always planned. During construction, we stockpiled the soil, regraded the site
and reinstated the soil so it needed some time to revitalise.
Q. What are the summer discharges like compared to other times of the year?
A. We irrigate to land in summer and discharge to the Ruamahanga River in winter. During
the summer we only discharged to the river for 8% of the time.
Q. How often is the Ruamahanga River tested?
A. The river is sampled every month. Sampling also occurs monthly in the ponds.
Q. Are the risks low enough in the Ruamahanga River to remove the signs at Wardell’s
Bridge?
A. Possibly, we would have to speak with GWRC and the Ministry of Health. However, this is
a resource consent condition.
Q. Has the river health improved as there is less treated wastewater being discharged to it?
A. This is some of the reason, yes. We cannot take all the credit though, farmers and
landowners have changed a lot of their practices to help. Also, Rathkeale College and the
chicken farm have improved their disposal systems.
Q. What is coming through and being discharged to the Makoura Stream is groundwater,
correct? Is it still carrying pollutants out?
A. It is essentially a spring, groundwater which is across the whole site. A very small amount
of irrigated water enters the groundwater tables but it is below consent limits.
Q. Will you go back and look at things if the QMCI continues to fail?
A. We would need to re-design the discharge method as it is a key part of the whole
treatment process. To test QMCI we have to bring in an outside contractor and this is done
only twice per year. It is a complicated test.
Q. How much did you irrigate over the year?
A. Approximately 20% of the treated wastewater was irrigated, (only done over summer,)
and 80% was discharged to the river.
Q. What does planting of the old ponds achieve?
A. It stabilises the sludge so it won’t wash away.
Q. There was an expression of interest put out to neighbours when the plant was being
designed to have wastewater piped to their properties wasn’t there?
A. Yes, this was a good exercise. Things have changed a bit in the last 5 years and discussions
about doing this now are much more positive.
Q. Are border strips being considered for additional irrigation on the dairy farm?
A. No, the site furthest from the river isn’t suited as it is very wet.
Q. How many border strips did you use in the last year?
A. All of them were used.
C. Some strips were over irrigated, was very wet.
R. All strips were irrigated within the consent parameters, some performed better than
others. The renovation programme will help improve these strips. Additionally, we are
looking at alternative crops such as willows in the areas which aren’t performing well.
Hopefully this will help.
Q. What’s the income to the council from the dairy farm?
A. It is a standard commercial lease.
C. The land has dramatically improved, the Lessee has done a really good job.
Q. How much of the dairy farm land would you need?
A. All of it would be needed, is also dependent on what operation is undertaken. By
irrigating treated water we would be ending the dairy operation.
Q. Why didn’t council plant the buffer boundary years ago?
A. To keep options open to reticulate to landowners in the future, and now we have just
bought the new land.
Q. Hasn’t the new land purchased got pivot irrigation already set up?
A. Yes, 20 hectares is irrigated at present. There are stricter rules around effluent irrigation,
will need to liaise with GWRC.
Q. Can you expand on the programme with the four options being investigated?
A. It depends on what Council choose, will take six to 12 months to get the river crossing and
irrigation resource consent granted. As a guideline we would be looking at summer 2018 to
start construction and commissioning.
Q. Will you have trouble with a pivot irrigation consent considering the negative evidence
you submitted against it last time?
A. Not sure for the new site, we will have to see.
Q. If wastewater is UV treated can it go into the river?
A. Yes, potentially, but UV only kills the bacteria and doesn’t treat the nutrients. Also Iwi
have a problem with putting more water into the river.
Q. One of the problems last year was stormwater infiltrating the sewer network, what’s
been done to reduce this?
A. We have spent $2million on this in the town in the last year. 10% of the entire network
has been replaced to date, we are consistently working on improvements.
Q. Early on there was a big heap of gravel pulled from the Waingawa River, is there a plan
for that?
A. Yes, it will be used for road maintenance over time.
Q. Is it realistic to assume that there will be no discharge of wastewater from the ponds into
the Ruamahanga River?
A. No, not in the short term, to get zero discharge would cost at least an extra $40million.
The plan is to spend a large amount like this again when the current debt is paid off, in
approximately 20 years time but the council can’t commit to zero discharge in 20 years at
this time.
C. Storage is a big problem for winter, significant land area is needed and cost is huge.
Q. Over the summer months would you be happy to swim in the Ruamahanga River?
A. Yes, as we are not discharging for 92% of the time and only at times when the river is
high.
Q. How much bigger would the pond have to be for storage?
A. Ten times the size of the current ponds but a storage pond is not built like the existing
oxidation ponds. It can be deeper if it’s just for storage, not for treating the effluent.
C. Water meters and inflow and infiltration work will hopefully reduce the need for
maximum storage. In other areas there has been a 30% reduction in water use following
installation of meters.
Q. Have you got examples of other treatment plants who irrigate to private landowners?
A. No, it is not done here in New Zealand. Australia and Israel do it a lot, water is expensive
in Australia and land is cheap.
C. Carterton District Council have got someone who leases the land and crops it but council
still owns it.
R. Council runs a similar system in Riversdale.
Q. Carterton’s Treatment Plant is running irrigation isn’t it?
A. Yes, they run a deficit scheme and they only irrigate three months of the year.
Q. Is the Fonterra Standard acceptable for grazing as well?
A. Yes, grazing is allowed. Iwi like to have a holding period between irrigation & grazing and
this can be beneficial.
Q. Have you considered it would be best to sell the dairy farm and use the money?
A. Yes, that is on the table.
C. The land is not good for holding lots of water.
Q. Is there a pipeline going from Homebush to the Pakaraka land presently?
A. Not yet, we are looking at designs and costs for doing it.
C. There are other areas where it would be possible to do the same thing as well.
R. Big areas are needed to run pipelines but once you go across the river once, it’s done.
Conclusion
Thank you all for coming, hopefully next year we will have some different topics to discuss.
The meeting concluded at 6.41pm