Activity Group: Sewerage Including Treatment and Disposal Activity: Sewerage Including Treatment and improved effluent quality and facilitate irrigation to land. A new outfall pipeline has Disposal been constructed into the Wairau River estuary. How this Activity Contributes to the Vision and Related Picton and Waikawa are served by an extended aeration treatment plant which was completed in 1999. The plant performs very well and produces an effluent of consistent Community Outcomes high quality. An old outfall pipeline that used to be conspicuous along the shore of This Activity helps to achieve the Vision by enabling high-value enterprises such as Kaipupu Point has now been replaced by a new and improved underwater pipe, and viticulture and aquaculture to sustainably manage their wastes. These services support the old pipeline has been removed. Traditional oxidation ponds are used to treat sustainable use of resources and expansion of key industries. This Activity also effluent in Havelock and Seddon. contributes to the Community Outcomes of Environment, Economy and Living as Approximately 85% of Marlborough’s population is connected to the reticulated outlined below. wastewater system. Rural locations rely on individual on-site treatment/disposal Outcome Actions systems or small community based reticulation and treatment. The initial cost of on-site treatment is often more affordable for small and dispersed settlements but requires Living Collecting, treating and disposing of wastewater provides sanitary suitable ground conditions for soakage of the treated effluent and a commitment to living conditions and protects public health. ongoing monitoring and maintenance. Permeable soils, a low residual water table and Environment Minimising damaging discharges to the environment through a reasonably flat topography are good attributes for an efficient on-site treatment effective sewage treatment. system. Economy Enabling industry to achieve good effluent management supports a There are many areas of Marlborough where on-site sewage disposal occurs in difficult prosperous community and economy for all Marlburians. conditions. Failing treatment systems can cause insanitary living conditions and pollution of both local watercourses and groundwater, with subsequent health risks, What is this Activity about? loss of amenity and ecological deterioration. Collection, treatment and disposal of wastewater to provide sanitary living conditions, A major upgrade of the trunk sewer between Waikawa and Picton commenced in protect public health and avoid damaging discharges to the environment is an 2017. Recent urban growth around Waikawa and infiltration of stormwater into the essential service that contributes to: sewers had caused the existing infrastructure to be over-taxed and sewer overflows were not uncommon. Fixing this problem requires renewal of 3.2 km of trunk sewer • the health of communities and three pump stations. A treatment facility to provide partial treatment of a planned sewer overflow during very large storms has been incorporated into the design. A pipe • minimisation of adverse environmental effects has also been installed parallel to the trunk main to return treated wastewater which industrial and residential development. can be used for irrigation to land in future. The total cost of the project will be around • $28M. What We Do and Where We Do It Why We Provide these Services Council operates four wastewater schemes in Blenheim, Picton, Havelock and The levels of service for the wastewater service have been determined by the features Seddon. The reticulation networks at Blenheim, Renwick, Grovetown, Spring Creek, of the Activity most valued by our customers. Riverlands, Cloudy Bay, Marlborough Ridge and Woodbourne drain to the sewage treatment facility at Hardings Road, Blenheim. Environmental Risks — the marine and aquatic environments are important The Blenheim plant has evolved over many years. The original aeration ponds have commercial, recreational and cultural environments. Iwi have a deep cultural been augmented with the treatment ponds which formerly served the PPCS meat relationship with the natural environment, and fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, water processing plant. There have been major upgrades to the plant in recent years to meet sports and leisure activities depend on good quality water. the rapidly growing discharges from the wine industry. The most recent work was the Effluent quality from the treatment plants is strictly controlled by resource consent. construction of a major new wetland, tertiary treatment and outfall that will deliver 2018-2028 Long Term Plan Page 80