The Far North District Council is pressing ahead with multimillion-dollar plans to upgrade sewerage systems including an expansion of wastewater services at Kerikeri which is likely to be one of the biggest projects the council has tackled.
A $7 million project to expand and upgrade wastewater systems at Opua, Awanui and Hihi is already under way, as is planning for improvements to the East Coast sewerage scheme at Taipa.
At Opua, a design-and-build contract will provide a low-pressure sewer system for properties on the coastal side of SH11 and the sealed section of Oromahoe Rd.
The project includes a new pump station to carry effluent to the Waitangi treatment plant. When commissioned in June, the scheme will service an additional 170 coastal properties.
A further 160 properties will be serviced by a low-pressure system being built at Awanui to replace failing septic tanks and an inadequate treatment plant.
When completed and commissioned midyear, effluent will be pumped to Kaitaia for treatment and discharge.
Both schemes have attracted Ministry of Health subsidies.
Infrastructure manager David Penny said the low-pressure schemes at Awanui and Opua were the most cost-effective system available for smaller communities.
They were also less vulnerable to earth movements and less likely to suffer water infiltration.
Also on the drawing board was an upgrade to meet new resource consent requirements for the East Coast sewerage scheme servicing Mangonui, Cable Bay, Coopers Beach and Taipa.
Many submitters during consent renewal process were concerned that the treated wastewater was discharged into a stream near the plant at Taipa.
He said consultants had been asked to look into alternatives and were due to report back within the next two months.
"There may be alternatives available and we need to investigate these thoroughly, particularly their cost-effectiveness and practicality," Mr Penny said.
It was hoped the upgrade would be finished by early 2014.
The council was also working on the long-discussed, multimillion-dollar expansion of wastewater services in Kerikeri.
Proposals were expected to be ready within months and would be put to residents later this year.
The project had been delayed because the council had to make sure it chose the most cost-effective solution.
Options included staging the development to spread costs over a longer period, reducing the reticulated area and providing for natural growth. Choosing the right location and type of treatment system would b critical, he said.