Ratepayers divided over wastewater discharge

Palmerston North ratepayers are divided over whether their wastewater should be discharged to land or into the river.

More than 1100 people responded to the city council’s call for consultation, with land and river discharges receiving the same levels of support – 27 per cent each.

The council will make a decision next year on how it will manage its wastewater for the next 35 years as its existing resource consent expires soon.

It will be the largest financial and environmental decision the city makes for decades and could cost more than $750 million.

The shortlisted options for the Nature Calls work include discharging all waste to the river or to also discharge a small amount to land during periods of low river flow.

The two discharge sites would be at the existing treatment plant on To¯tara Rd and below Opiki Bridge.

Another option is to discharge mostly to land – 97 per cent to inland and coastal sites and a river discharge in exceptional circumstances.

The council also proposed to combine land and river discharges – 45 per cent to an inland or coastal site and a river discharge for the remainder of the year. Options to discharge to the ocean weren’t as popular, with only 6 per cent behind the proposal.

However, the council will still investigate the merits of a regional scheme that neighbouring councils could join.

‘‘The ocean option is most feasible to accommodate wastewater from our neighbouring councils or major industry,’’ the council said in a statement.

Forty-eight per cent said the environment mattered most when making a decision and 16 per cent said cost was most important.

Once a decision is made, a resource consent application will be prepared by June 2022.