Waikato District Council is getting close to approving a project to mitigate one aspect of the sewage overflows into Raglan Harbour. An extraordinary meeting of the Council has been called for August 19th. The meeting will look at approving acceleration of a project to improve the radio control system (SCADA) that monitors the Council’s wastewater network.
When the fine for last year’s spill was imposed on Waikato District Council, Hamilton District Court Judge David Kirkpatrick noted that errors committed by district council staff were “of a systemic nature, revealing poor training, supervision and ultimate management”.
The current proposal will improve the technology that monitors the wastewater pumps. Raglanders are still waiting to hear from Ngaruawahia on what the Council will be doing to improve training, supervision and management.
The SCADA project was originally set down for 2015. The Council is now being asked by staff to spend another $100,000 on the work and to have it completed by December 2014. The Council’s Infrastructure Committee had considered a report from General Manager Service Delivery, Tim Harty on Raglan Overflows- Risk Mitigation Options at its meeting on the 12th August. The item was a recommended addition to the agenda as a matter of urgency by CEO Gavin Ion. Mr Harty described the project as like moving from a combination of Microsoft and Apple computers to a system using just one technology across district. This seemed rather a strange analogy as the Council’s IT department uses a combination of Microsoft and Apple computers very successfully. Mayor Allan Sanson said spending the money ‘grated’ but he accepted it had to be done. After considering Mr Harty’s report, the Infrastructure Committee recommended to the Council that the project be brought forward.
In another secret part of the meeting with public excluded the Committee also received then discussed a report on the recent Wastewater Overflow from the Wainui Rd, Raglan Pump Station. It is not known what was reported to the councillors. We do know that tests on water quality have not given the clearance yet for Raglan Harbour.
The sewage spill ban for seafood gathering, fishing and swimming is still on for the weekend of 16th and 17th August.
A Waikato District Council spokesperson said, “Due to the nature of last weekend’s overflow, staff are continuing to monitor estuary quality levels and advise the community not to collect seafood or fish in the area until further notice. A media advisory outlining the key findings of the Waikato District Council report into the incident will be distributed on Monday morning.”