Volume One 15. Resource Quality (Water, Air, Soil) [C] Policy 15.1.20 – Except for Grade A or Grade B treated sewage, control the discharge of human sewage from ships in the Marlborough Sounds. The Marlborough Sounds are a popular destination for local and visiting boaties. Larger ships, especially those with live-on facilities, have holding tanks for human sewage. The discharge of human sewage from ships is regulated by the Resource Management (Marine Pollution) Regulations 1998. However, the combination of the enclosed nature of the Marlborough Sounds and the prevalence of marine farming throughout this area mean that there are limited opportunities to discharge sewage to coastal waters in a manner that complies with the Regulations. In addition, in many locations there is limited movement of water that would provide for mixing of the contaminants with the receiving waters. The continuation of discharging human sewage into such valued and significant enclosed waters has been questioned by the community. The Regulations do allow for more stringent rules than those prescribed in the Regulations to be included in a regional coastal plan in certain circumstances. The policy signals that the Council is to utilise this ability to manage the adverse effects potentially created by the discharge of untreated human sewage from ships. This policy assists to give effect to Policy 23 of the NZCPS. [R, C, D] Policy 15.1.21 – Manage the adverse effects of urban stormwater discharges on water quality by applying management to activities within each urban stormwater catchment in order to reduce the potential for stormwater to become contaminated at source. The Council does not regulate individual inputs into the Council’s reticulated stormwater infrastructure, as these inputs do not constitute a discharge under the RMA. (The Council can exercise its enforcement powers when contaminants - as opposed to stormwater - are discharged into the stormwater infrastructure and subsequently contaminate a waterbody.) However, the discharge provisions of the MEP do apply where the collected stormwater is discharged into receiving waters. The volume of stormwater generated during rain events and the rate of discharge make treating stormwater prior to discharge difficult. For this reason, the policy emphasises that the Council will focus on managing the potential for stormwater to become contaminated at source before it enters the reticulated system. Stormwater quality at the point of discharge reflects land use activities and land management practices within the catchment serviced by the stormwater infrastructure. A catchment approach to managing stormwater quality enables a focussed investigation of potential sources of contaminants within the catchment to be undertaken. The benefit is that the most appropriate and cost effective solutions can then be identified and implemented. It is expected that these actions will be set out and detailed in Stormwater Management Area Plans. The Plans will ensure that there is a co-ordinated and integrated approach to managing stormwater quality within each urban stormwater catchment and any adverse effects on receiving waters. Over time, the policy will reduce the contamination of stormwater from industrial, commercial and residential activities and assist to improve water quality in urban areas. This policy assists to give effect to Policy 23 of the NZCPS. [R, C] Policy 15.1.22 – Recognise that the Taylor, Ōpa oa and Waitohi rivers, Waikawa Stream (and some of their tributaries) and coastal waters at Havelock, Picton and Waikawa will continue to receive urban stormwater for the foreseeable future and, with limited options to treat urban stormwater, may on an episodic basis experience reduced water quality to the extent that the management purposes in Policy 15.1.1 are not achieved. The waterbodies listed in the policy have historically received stormwater from the towns of Blenheim, Havelock, Picton and Waikawa. Given the reliance of those towns on the stormwater systems, these waterbodies will continue to receive urban stormwater for the foreseeable future. Once collected, due to volume of runoff and peak flows there is limited ability to treat this 15 – 19