A multi-million dollar upgrade to Marton's wastewater treatment plant has been endorsed by councillors.
The plan, which includes a second anaerobic pond, new storage tanks and community involvement in the process, was discussed by Rangitikei District Council's assets and infrastructure committee last week.
A contributor to the current plant's failure was leachate (landfill run-off), which was trucked to the treatment plant from Bonny Glen landfill.
The landfill's owners are now working on pre-treating the leachate and the council's utility assets manager Joanna Saywell suggested Midwest may be able to fully treat the leachate within a few years.
"The direction that we give today is what's going to happen in the next few years," committee chair Dean McManaway said. "We need to be firm but fair. I do believe that Midwest realise this is a serious issue."