New fix for Foxton's water clarity issues

Foxton has found a fix for discoloured water issues. Photo / 123RF

Discoloured water will soon be a thing of the past for residents of Foxton Beach.

Water engineers at Horowhenua District Council have found a solution that will resolve the community's water clarity issues from mid-2018 onwards — the addition of a greensand filtration plant to the water treatment process.

Greensand is a specially-processed medium which removes manganese from water by oxidation.

"Residents of Foxton Beach have sporadically endured brown water for many years due to the presence of manganese, a naturally-occurring groundwater mineral, in the bore water supply. The current water purification process doesn't remove this mineral," said Paul Gaydon, Horowhenua District Council's Water and Waste Services Manager.

Mr Gaydon said Council water engineers explored a number of options to deal with the problem before selecting a greensand filter as the most promising solution. This led to a four-month on-site trial in 2017 to ensure the quality and reliability of the process.

"By adding a greensand filter, we were able to consistently and completely remove the manganese."

Following the successful trial, in December last year Council commissioned a contractor to supply and install a permanent greensand filtration plant for the Foxton Beach Water Treatment Plant. The installation is due to be completed by the third week of June 2018.

"The filtration technology offered the best value and performed effectively during the trial," Mr Gaydon said.

The solution to the water clarity issues at Foxton Beach follows the successful resolution of Foxton's discoloured water problems in 2017.

"We're delighted to put an end to this problem for these communities. Although the water was always safe to drink, people disliked the discolouration. The improvements we're making will produce water that is clear and aesthetically pleasing, as well as prevent staining of laundry and sanitary ware items. It's a great outcome."