10 March 2006 Chapter 14 - Discharges of Waste to Land It is th e r e fo r e n e c e ssa r y to m o n ito r th e o p e r a tio n a l p e r fo r m a n ce o f a ll o n-site sy ste m s in th e M a r lb o r o u g h S o u n d s a n d r e q u ir e r e m e d ia l a ctio n w h e r e th e sy ste m s a r e p o o r ly p e r fo r m in g . M a n y b u ild in g s in th e M a r lb o r o u g h S o u n d s sta r te d a s sim p le b a c h e s se r v ice d b y co n v e n tio n a l o n-site sy ste m s th a t r e fle cte d th e sca le a n d o cc u p a n c y o f th e b u ild in g . T h e r e is a n in c r e a sin g te n d e n c y to m o d e r n ise a n d/ o r e x te n d th e se str u c tu r e s. If m o r e p e o p le c a n b e a c c o m m o d a te d in th e b u ild in g s(s) fo llo w in g th e se c h a n g e s, e v e n if o n ly fo r a sh o r t p e r io d , th e n th e w a ste w a te r lo a d in g a n d r a te o f d isch a r g e w ill a lso in c r e a se. A d isc h a r g e p e r m it w ill b e r e q u ir e d to co n tin u e d isch a r g in g d o m e stic w a ste w a te r to la n d in su c h cir cu m sta n ce s. T h is w ill a llo w th e C o u n cil to d e te r m in e w h e th e r th e e x istin g o n-site sy ste m is ca p a b le o f m a n a g in g th e in c r e a se d lo a d in g a n d , if it is n o t, w ill e n su r e th a t th e sy ste m is e ith e r u p g r a d e d o r r e p la ce d w ith a n a p p r o p r ia te sy ste m . P o lic ie s 14.4.1.1.2 to 14.4.1.1.9 c a n b e u se d to a ssist th is d e te r m in a tio n . 14.4.4 Methods of Implementation Rules Rules identify circumstances in which resource consents will be required to commence or continue discharging domestic wastewater to land. Conditions of permitted activity rules (for existing discharges) and resource consents will require all on-site wastewater management systems to be maintained in an efficient operating condition. Operation and The Council will require (through the resource consent Maintenance process) designers to prepare operation and maintenance Guidelines guidelines for all new on-site wastewater management systems. These guidelines should then be submitted to the Council and, more importantly, to property owners. Service The Council will require (through the resource consent Contracts process) property owners installing proprietary advanced on-site wastewater management systems to enter into service contracts with the manufacturer. Monitoring The performance of on-site wastewater management systems will be monitored to ensure compliance with the minimum standards established by the Plan and/ or resource consents. When determining whether an existing on-site wastewater management system is poorly performing, regard will be had to: (a) The age and type of system; (b) The structural integrity of the treatment unit and the water-tightness of all components of the system; (c) Whether domestic wastewater is saturating soil or ponding within, or in the vicinity of, the land application area; (d) The proximity of the land application area to any waterbody; (e) Whether the discharge from the system is initiating instability or making existing instability worse; (f) Any offensive or objectionable odour; 14 - 15