Hawke's Bay Regional Council steps in over Wairoa's wastewater woes

Wairoa District Council has set up an overflow pipe (not pictured) to prevent any immediate blocking. Photo / File

Hawke's Bay councils have agreed to work together to find an immediate short-term solution as wastewater pours on the Wairoa River flats.

Hawke's Bay Regional Council chief executive James Palmer and Wairoa District Council chief executive Steve May met on Wednesday afternoon to discuss how to fix the problem.

Palmer said the discharge, caused by failed Wairoa District Council infrastructure, is not satisfactory and the ongoing failures of the system are a cause of frustration for the Regional Council and the community.

"The Regional Council has been monitoring the situation closely and is currently considering what enforcement action is appropriate and seeking further scientific evidence before making a decision," Palmer said.

"Wairoa's wastewater issues are similar to those of smaller communities throughout NZ.

"The government has estimated the cost of upgrades [for all of NZ] is between $1.4 and $2.1 billion."

The Wairoa wastewater plant was constructed in 1981 and since 1999 it has operated under resource consent from the regional council.

It allows treated wastewater to be discharged into the lower Wairoa River through an outfall located in an estuary, about 100 metres from shore.

A few years ago the outfall stopped functioning properly, causing wastewater to back-up and flow from a manhole cover in the town.

In 2017 Wairoa District Council built an unconsented overflow pipe that pours the wastewater into the river flats at the lower end.

May said the district council had committed to a multimillion-dollar wastewater project to plan for a long-term solution.

"Council staff have been working with the regional council with site visits and providing information as requested," May said.

"The regional council is making a real commitment to helping us, and they accept we are on a journey to rectify our issues and acknowledge this is not an overnight fix.

"Our staff have been designing a solution so when the application is approved, we will be ready to begin physical work which will include removing the overflow pipe."

He said a temporary solution would be looked into to reduce the flow of treated wastewater into the river but it was focused on a solution to fix the problem altogether.

"We are also working with the regional council around options to mitigate overflow risks in the short-term.

"It's important we continue to work with the regional council to look at an affordable and sustainable solution that will fix this issue once and for all."