3.1 Meeting held 5 September 2000

5.1 Ngatea STP Consent Renewal

5.2 Waihi Sewerage Jetflote Trial

5.3 Waihi Water Consent Renewal

5.4 Paeroa Sewerage Wet Weather Overflows

5.5 Whiritoa Sewerage Treatment

5.6 Waitakaruru Sewage Discharge Consent

5.7 Waihi Bore Water Investigation

5.8 Wallace Corporation Consent

5.9 Presentation to Environment Waikato

5.10 Pastoral Irrigation

5.11 On-Site Disposal

5.12 Confirmation of next meeting

Pursuant to Section 46A(7) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, the Chairman is to call for late items to be accepted.

In the event of a late item, an explanation must be given as to why the item was not on the agenda and why discussion cannot be delayed for a subsequent meeting.

3.1 MEETING HELD 5 SEPTEMBER 2000 1-4

THAT the minutes of the meeting of the Water and Wastewater Consultative Committee held on Tuesday 4 July 2000 be taken as read and confirmed.

5.1 NGATEA STP CONSENT RENEWAL (42.002.017) 5-23

Negotiations are being held with Fish and Game regarding their submission opposing the discharge.

Environment Waikato staff have suggested smelter slag be used in the rock filter ahead of local quarry rock. This is to achieve a reduction in phosphorous concentrations. The local quarry rock requires a larger volume to achieve an equivalent void ratio to smelter slag and requires a special run to produce the rock to the correct grading. This change is unlikely to affect the total price for the project, but will limit having a competitively priced supply of material.

That smelter slag be used as the rock filter media.

Attached for information is the 12-month report on the APS trial being undertaken at Ngatea.

5.2 WAIHI SEWERAGE JETFLOTE TRIAL (42.601.017)

The trial was undertaken over the week starting the 25 September. A report detailing the test results will be produced.

5.3 WAIHI WATER CONSENT RENEWAL (43.603.017)

Negotiations are continuing with Environment Waikato staff regarding possible suitable conditions.

The following mitigation is being proposed;

Proposed Mitigation: The following are proposed to enhance the environment of the stream and to minimise water abstractions during dry periods:

Improving fish passage at the existing dam and proposed upper intake;

Riparian planting for bank stability, water quality improvement and shade for in-stream users.

Water meters have been installed at all supply connections and with user pays system water consumption is reduced.

Implement leakage detection measures to reduce system losses.

Implement public awareness on water use and conservation (through newspapers, flyers, etc.)

Monitor water usage and implement water restrictions if and when required.

That the proposed Waihi water supply mitigation measures be supported.

5.4 PAEROA SEWAGE WET WEATHER OVERFLOWS (42.301.020)

5.5 WHIRITOA SEWAGE TREATMENT (42.602.017)

5.6 WAITAKARURU SEWAGE DISCHARGE CONSENT (42.004.017)

It would be appropriate to start on the renewal for the Waitakaruru sewage treatment plant discharge consents as soon as possible. Currently this scheme does not have a valid resource consent, which places Council in an undesirable situation. Previous attempts to renew the resource consent have bee restricted by the high operational costs of the options proposed. As a fall back, the option of pumping all the effluent to Ngatea was included in the long-term financial plan.

The existing Council scheme only services a small part of Waitakaruru, this could be expanded in the future and the school is likely to want to join the scheme. It is proposed to engage Bruce Wallace Partners to evaluate possible treatment options and to determine the most practical and economic option for Waitakaruru’s sewage treatment, while allowing for future expansion.

That Bruce Wallace Partners be engaged to obtain resource consents for the Waitakaruru sewage treatment plant.

5.7 WAIHI BORE WATER INVESTIGATION (43.603.003)

The following item is included in the Works Committee agenda.

Included in this years estimates is $100,000 to further investigate the potential of bore water for the Waihi supply. A previous investigation found there could be a very under ground water source in one corner of the Waihi basin. Cost estimates showed that if the ground water were viable, it would be significantly cheaper than developing a surface water source. Further investigation is required to prove or disprove the viability of a ground water resource. It is proposed to undertake the investigation in two stages. The first is to analyse as much easily access data as possible. This would include testing any bores in the area. Should that investigation indicated a good possibility of a suitable water supply bore, then test bores and test pumping could then take place. Approval is being sort to undertake the first stage of the groundwater investigation.

THAT a report be commissioned further investigating the possibility of suitable bore water in the Waihi basin at an estimated cost of $15,000

5.8 WALLACE CORPORATION CONSENT APPLICATION (43.001.017)

Wallace Corporation have lodged a resource consent application to discharge treated wastewater from meat processing and by-products manufacturing operation onto land off Wood Rd Waitoa. As the application involves the discharge of treated effluent onto land, I don’t consider it necessary for Council to make a submission on this consent application.

5.9 PRESENTATION TO ENVIRONMENT WAIKATO (43.000.017)

5.10 PASTORAL IRRIGATION (43.001.017)

Environment Waikato have advised that 5 of the 14 pastoral irrigation consents issues 4 years ago have lapsed due to not being utilised. This has left 1% of the Q5 flow or 17,000 m3/day that could be allocated. I have verbally advised Environment Waikato of the impacts through high turbidities caused by the current low flows and that I would have serious concerns if any additional water extractions were allocated. Reducing the overall extraction from the Waihou would improve the problem of high turbidity. The alternative for Council would be to move the intake further up stream, or establish storage so extraction only occurred during the cleaner part of the tidal cycle. The storage option is likely to be the cheaper and would cost approximately $1 million.

5.11 ON-SITE DISPOSAL (42.000.017) 24-33

Attached is a copy of a newsletter called ON-SITE NewZ. The newsletter is compiled by a well respected organisation and covers operational experiences with composting and back country sewage treatment.

During the resource consent renewal process for other Council treatment sites, the use of composting toilets has been promoted by people seeking an alternative answer. Based on this newsletter, the experience of most organisations with composting toilets is they have not matched expectations and require enthusiastic operators to maintain satisfactory operation. With composting toilets, the control of liquids appears critical. New Zealand urban communities use water is the main means of waste disposal, while this approach remains, the use of composting toilets will be very restricted.

5.12 CONFIRMATION OF NEXT MEETING

Tuesday 7 November 2000 at 10.00 am