$15m and rising - Kaitāia yet to get any water from Sweetwater project

The official Sweetwater ribbon-cutting team in June, 2022, Trudy Allen (left, Ngati Kahu), Far North Deputy Mayor Ann Court, John Paitai (Te Rarawa) and then Far North Mayor John Carter. Photo / Susan Botting

It’s taken more than a decade, cost at least $15.3 million and rising, but the Sweetwater project that was meant to give Kaitāia a secure drinking water supply has yet to produce a drop for public consumption.

With another dry summer predicted for the region, and several years where Kaitāia has faced restrictions, Far North district Council hopes that the Kaitāia Water Project - which is to take water from Sweetwater - will start pumping it into the Kaitāia Water treatment Plant for testing in January.

The council first started to explore getting waters from the Sweetwater aquifer in 2010 when then Far North Mayor Wayne Brown made an agreement with with avocado grower Tony Hayward.

At that stage it was estimated that the project would cost around $2.6m, but by October, 2020, the project had ballooned to an estimated $15.3m. The council could not say until a senior manager returned in January how much the project was now expected to cost.

Then-Far North mayor Wayne Brown with avocado grower Tony Hayward at the site of what was to be Kaitāia's new water source at Sweetwater in 2010.

However, in response to a series of questions relating to Sweetwater from the Northland Age, council chief executive Guy Holroyd said, as detailed on the council’s Kaitāia Water Project webpage, the project to access raw water from the aquifer at Sweetwater was launched following the 2020 drought that hit Northland.

‘‘In just three years, we have drilled new bores, come to agreement with several landowners to allow a pipeline to cross their land and built that pipeline to Kaitāia,’’ Holroyd said.

‘‘During that build time, the country went into lockdown for the Covid-19 pandemic and was subsequently hit by a global supply chain slow down. While the completion date has been extended, this is far from excessive when considering the external and unforeseen factors we have faced.’’

He said the date when water from Sweetwater will finally start being used in Kaitāia permanently will be determined once the plan has been tested.

‘‘Any supply will also need to comply with the drinking water standards regulated by Taumata Arowai before being supplied to customers.’’

Holroyd said the site blessing in June 2022 was to celebrate the milestone of infrastructure construction being completed.

‘‘The next critical project step was to implement the commissioning plan of the Sweetwater supply. After considerable discussion over options, in late September 2023 the council instructed its three waters alliance partner, Far North Waters, to proceed with a plan to introduce Sweetwater groundwater to the Kaitāia water treatment plant at intervals.

‘‘This would help to confirm the production capacity of the water bores and Kaitāia water treatment plant requirements to blend bore water with existing raw water taken from the Awanui River.’’

He said this plan has been implemented and the expectation is that Sweetwater groundwater will be fed into the Kaitāia treatment plant for testing early in January. In advance, a period of flushing water will be completed involving several days of bore pumping.’’

With a dry summer predicted for the Far North, Holroyd said Northland Regional Council and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) have been consulted and advise that the Far North is in a good position moving into summer.

‘‘While El Nino has arrived, there are currently no water shortage concerns. We have developed a district-wide water management plan for this summer alongside our three waters alliance partner, Far North Waters. The Sweetwater plan is being managed as a priority.’’

A digger starting work on a pipeline to the Sweetwater bore to Kaitāia in February 2020.

When asked why it had taken so long to get the system up and running, when it was supposed to have been supplying water in May last year, he said operational commissioning needed to be determined and tested.

He also said there had been a collapse of bores at Sweetwater, and issues with silica in the water, but the council’s plan will confirm the treatment and commissioning of the supply.

When asked what guarantees the council could give the community that it will not be impacted by poor water supplies in Kaitāia this summer, Holroyd said the council will follow the water management plan to ensure that water continues to be supplied in Kaitāia.

‘‘However, like any supply in New Zealand, water restrictions may have to be introduced during dry periods to conserve supplies,’’ he said.