Thirty seven years after the Raglan treated waste water disposal pipe was damaged by a storm and moving sand, the Council is now planning to have another go at extending the pipe in 2021. Past Chair of the Raglan Community Board, Peter Storey, often says that the Waikato District Council seems to have a policy of getting it right the second time at a very high cost. This Council project looks to be another example of this.
The Council’s Long Term Plan which is up for discussion now, says, “It is anticipated that when the Raglan wastewater discharge consent is renewed that there may be a requirement to install an alternative treated effluent disposal option”. At a meeting on the 30th March called by residents to discuss sewage, Council Infrastructure GM Tim Harty explained that in 2021/2 the Council plans to spend about $12.2m on extending the pipe again. When questioned he was unaware that the pipe had originally been longer and washed away in a storm in 1978.
In May the proposed project came under scrutiny by Audit New Zealand and on 2nd May Waikato District Council Strategy & Support GM Tony Whittaker told an Extraordinary Council meeting the long-term plan had Audit NZ support but Council staff had to make some changes for clarity. One of the decisions, a $12.2 million plan to upgrade the Raglan wastewater treatment plant and improvements to discharge in 2021 to 2022, needed to be better explained, said Whittaker. Changes were made to allow Audit NZ to give its OK before the full Council gave its approval to the discussion draft of the Long Term Plan.
To pay for the project, Waikato District Council is planning to charge Raglan ratepayers more for wastewater services. Its proposed Long Term Plan (LTP) says that at the moment it has different charges across for wastewater services across the district. It wants to standardise these by increasing them in all areas. It also wants to move to a what it calls ‘Option One’, a system of charging for waste water based on the amount of fresh water used by a property recorded by a water meter.
The meeting held on the 30th March was called by residents to discuss sewage as a group of people are seeking support for land based disposal of the treated waste water. Others are saying that the waste water should be upcycled and treated to drinking water quality so it can be recycled and reused.
You’ve got till 17 April to get submissions in on the Long Term Plan. You can make your submission online or pick up a form at the Raglan Council office.