East Rotoiti | Rotomā Sewerage Scheme

09 October 2018 - Progress on building a sewerage scheme for the east Rotoiti and Rotomā communities is on track.

Construction of a Wastewater Treatment Plant behind the Emery Store in Rotoiti and a road to the plant is underway.

Contractors have also laid about 13km of the 22km reticulation line starting from Matahī Road and, will in time, be connected to the plant.

Rotomā

The aim is to initially connect Rotomā properties including non-residential to the new service by April next year, via on-property Septic Tank Effluent Pumping systems - known as STEP.

The on-site pre-treatment devices will be hooked up to the reticulation network which will be connected to the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

As of the first week of October, 114 of the total 212 consents to install the STEP system in Rotomā have been signed and received by Rotorua Lakes Council.

Its General Manager of Infrastructure, Stavros Michael, reported this to elected members last week.

You can watch his presentation below and read his written presentation by clicking this LINK.

Rotoiti

A decision for a pre-treatment effluent system for Rotoiti homes hasn’t been made yet.

Last year, a system called Biolytix was trialled.

Mr Michael told elected members at last week’s Operations and Monitoring Committee meeting that Council is looking for a supplier which will provide the most cost effective system for the community.

He says a device that also complies to the needs of resource consent for Rotoiti.

A request for tender process is being prepared to determine whether Biolytix or the alternative, STEP system, should be adopted for the community.

Council aims to find a supplier which will install the preferred pre-treatment system that runs it for 15 years.

Mr Michael says that it will make a decision based on objectives such as:

· Providing an essential service for the community

· Helps protect the mauri (life force) of the lake and the health of the people; as well as

· Providing a service in a way that is culturally appropriate

You can watch Stavros Michael's presentation to the Operations and Monitoring Committee meeting in October HERE.

The presentation includes:

• Update on the project
• Challenges
• Budget and proposed cost to homeowners; and
• Comments from the scheme’s Cultural Impact team and from the chair of the Rotorua Lakes Community Board

Finding a preferred option for a sewerage scheme for east Rotoiti and Rotomā has taken about ten years and has involved the community, investigating options and reaching a decision.

In 2012, Council renewed its direction in finding a scheme after its resource consent for its then chosen scheme failed in the Environment Court.

With help from the community, the Regional Council and financial support from the Ministry of Health, Council needed to find a scheme that:

• Helps to protect the mauri (life force) of the lake
• Protects people's health
• Ensures cultural factors have been considered as part of a scheme
• Considers the cost to the community
• Finds the best possible communal on-site wastewater pre-treatment system for the community
• Ensures any available subsidies are used wisely

The East Rotoiti Rotomā Sewerage Scheme has been led by the community group, the Rotoiti Rotomā Sewerage Steering Committee since its inception in 2014.

It has been supported by a Cultural Impact team that is made up of members from the Rotoiti/ Rotomā community.

A preferred option on a scheme was approved by Council in December 2014 and was added as a discussion document on page 13 of the Council's Long-Term Plan in 2015.

The aim is to develop a sewerage scheme that serves the community in a way that is environmentally sustainable and culturally appropriate. These objectives are reflected in the Lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti Action Plan and Council's Long-term Plan for 2018 - 2028. (Refer to page 14).

Council has taken the advice of the Rotoiti Rotomā Sewerage Steering Committee and a dedicated Cultural Impact Team in picking a preferred sewerage scheme option.

So what will the sewerage system include?

• Building a Wastewater Treatment Plant behind the Rotoiti Emery Store; and
• A reticulation network of about 22 kilometres which runs from Matahī Road in Rotomā to the plant in Rotoiti

Future-proofing:

• The system will be expanded, with the intention of connecting the Lake Rotoehu and eastern Rotoiti communities to the network
• The total reticulation network will be 47.5 kilometres long