Dealing with the wastewater that comes from homes and businesses in Lyttelton, Governor’s Bay and Diamond Harbour is an important job for the Council.
Following four years of public consultation, in May 2009 the Council approved a new way of managing the area’s wastewater - pumping the untreated wastewater from Lyttelton, Governor’s Bay and Diamond Harbour to the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant.
By pumping the wastewater to the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant in Bromley, the water can be treated to a very high quality and discharged 3 km out to sea via the new ocean outfall pipeline.
The outcome of the public consultation
The public consultation was managed by the independently facilitated Lyttelton Harbour Wastewater Working Party, which was made up from community representatives from around the harbour basin. Consultation included many meetings with the community and working closely with the community board.
Following the consultation and the presentation by the Working Party to Council, the Council adopted the preferred choice for managing the wastewater and money for the work was allocated in the 2009 -2019 Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP).
The 2009-2019 LTCCP provides $13 million of funding for the new pipeline and pumping requirements that will get the wastewater to the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Further funding will be required through the 2019-2029 LTCCP to take the work to 2022, the expected date for the project completion. In order to carry out the work, existing consents for the current wastewater treatment, will need to be extended.
The wastewater consents
Governor’s Bay wastewater treatment plant discharge permit, (i.e. the permit that allows treated wastewater to be discharged into the Harbour) expires in June 2010. The Council will submit a new application to Environment Canterbury in December 2009 to extend the time period of the permit to June 2022. The Council will also submit a similar application to extend the Diamond Harbour discharge permit period (which expires in October 2014) to June 2022.
It is important that the consents are extended to 2022, by which date all Lyttelton Harbour wastewater will be pumped to the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Until 2022, the wastewater will continue to be treated, and will be discharged into the Harbour as it is currently.
This is an important medium-term solution to managing the wastewater from Governor’s Bay and Diamond Harbour, while the long-term solution is being constructed. The Council is also proposing (as part of the applications to Environment Canterbury) more regular monitoring of harbour water quality.
The future... 2022
By 2022 it is anticipated there will be no discharge of treated wastewater into the Harbour, and it will all be pumped to the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Where to find more information
If you would like any more information about your wastewater management, the project or the consents, please contact 941 8999 or email info@ccc.govt.nz
