Media Release

First 160 properties connect to Ruakaka South Sewer Scheme Extension

People working on the Ruakaka South Sewer Scheme Extension celebrated a major milestone this week, with the first of 160 properties in the Ruakaka Beach Road area connecting to the new, $9.4million scheme.

The scheme will replace existing septic tanks, many of which are old and pose potential risk to the environment and public health. The project has received significant backing from the Ministry of Health, who are subsidizing up to$6.8M of its cost.

“This is the first 160 of 470 properties that will join the scheme by the end of June next year,” said Whangarei District Council Waste and Drainage Manager Andrew Carvell.

“We have had about 30 people working in the area for the past eight months, undertaking a lot of physical work, laying new sewer mains along roads, installing the domestic pump stations and boundary kits, installing the electrical components necessary to run the pumps, and upgrading new pumping stations. Everyone is pleased that we have reached this point, completing a significant portion of the job.”

Mr Carvell said everyone involved in the project, including head contractor, Fulton Hogan and local companies Currie electrical, Northpower and Te Aratika Drilling, had worked hard to keep disruptions to a minimum.

“We have all appreciated the support the community has shown as this project progressed.”

By June next year the remaining 310 properties will be connected to the scheme, which will then pump wastewater from 470 individual properties to the Ruakaka Waste Water Treatment Plant. The treatment plant will be extended to handle the increased volume of wastewater.

Costs for the project, which includes work on the treatment plant, are being shared with the Ministry of Health contributing $6.79million and Whangarei District Council contributing $2million and individual property owners contributing $10,194 including GST per household. About half of those joining the scheme paid a one-off lump sum in 1 November, and others were spreading their payments over 5 years.

“We have had a really positive response from almost everyone in the area because we now have one big system which Council will keep up to scratch, rather than the individual systems of the past, which had varying levels of performance and potential to pose a real risk to the community and environment. Installing the new system and increasing the capacity of the centralised waste water treatment plant will also enable more development to take place in the area,” Mr Carvell said.
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