I asked for a public update days ago and gave a 5pm dead line.. Got it at 20 past.. Atleast was within the hour!! Media release – 14 June 2013 Wastewater treatment plant update Wanganui District Council is continuing work on odour issues at the wastewater treatment plant while plans are developed for upgrading the plant. The following information, which recaps on some of the work that has been done as well as providing details of current work, is from Infrastructure Manager Mark Hughes: Odour The odour is still affecting parts of the district at times, although the frequency and duration has reduced. Odour emissions are not constant. They vary due to several factors, the main one being the amount and make-up of waste that industries send us. We have upgraded the atomiser fence system. We are now in a position to add more nozzles to make the fence more effective. To date we have added around 250 extra nozzles to the original system and more are planned over the next two weeks. While the atomiser fence is working well to reduce odour, it is set to cope with the level of waste we expect to receive. If additional, unexpected waste is received as happened this week, the atomisers are not always able to reduce the odour sufficiently. Aerators We have collected six venturi type aerators from the Central Hawke’s Bay District Council, modified our existing aerator equipment to accommodate the new aerators and installed all six of them on the aerated lagoon. We purchased five new venturi type aerators and installed them on the aerated lagoon. Once again, we used existing equipment and modified its application to accommodate the new equipment. We refurbished two of the original (2007) aerators and installed them as well. We now have a total of 13 aerators running continuously on the inlet side of the aerated lagoon. This made a big improvement on the dissolved oxygen levels and helps to control the odour being produced and released by the sludge in this part of the plant. Lime application We stopped applying lime to the plant once we determined that the lime had done its job. We are not spending any funds if not needed. Beach Road pump station We have installed dosing equipment at Beach Road pump station to be able to add hydrogen peroxide to the influent to reduce unwanted odours in the incoming wastewater from reaching the plant. Trade waste We have completed an intensive trade waste sampling programme during the last three weeks. This will be followed by a similar sampling and analysis programme on the raw wastewater entering the plant. We have continued with random grab samples and inspections of trade waste effluent. We are in regular contact with the wet industries and are continuing discussions with them. Sludge We have completed a third sludge survey of the wastewater treatment plant sludge levels and quality. The data from the two most recent surveys will be used to calculate how much sludge needs to be removed from the plant. We are in the process of generating all the necessary documentation and contracts to put this work out to tender next month with a view to commence sludge removal by September. New treatment plant Development of the concept design is progressing to plan and we expect to communicate an update in August. Environment Court In accordance with the Environment Court’s ruling, we are providing updates to Horizons Regional Council every two weeks. Litigation and review This week the Council has formally requested a full and independent enquiry into the circumstances that led to the failure of the wastewater plant and a full review of Council’s design advice and decision making that led to the current crisis. The Council has also given preliminary consideration to the legal situation. Health We are aware that some members of the community believe that the odour from the wastewater treatment plant is affecting their health. The Medical Officer of Health has previously advised that although the odour is objectionable, it is unlikely to be harmful. However, some people may be sensitive to irritant effects so if you have health concerns, please contact the Medical Officer of Health or your doctor.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 05:18:34 +0000
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