Council working on upgrade for wastewater plant

THE Central Otago District Council is futureproofing the Omakau wastewater treatment plant.

At its meeting recently, the council approved entering negotiations to acquire an easement over private land so the plant could have electricity.

Council planning and environment executive manager Louise van der Voort said electricity would allow the installation of items to improve the plant’s discharge to the Manuherikia River so the district council could meet Otago Regional Council resource consent conditions.

District council infrastructure services executive manager Julie Muir said the resource consents related to the quantity and quality of discharge from the wastewater treatment plants.

The wastewater upgrade would improve the discharge quality.

A report by district council property and facilities officer Christina Martin said the plant is on council freehold land between Omakau and Ophir.

An electricity supply needed to be installed from Leask St, Omakau’s main street, to the plant.

The council would have to negotiate with private landowners between Leask St and the plant to get the easement so electricity could be installed.

Ms Muir said the completion of the electricity connection was dependent on the easement.

When the easement was in place, physical work would take up to three months.

Mrs Martin’s report said if all went to plan the easement would be in place by December.

The easement process would cost about $11,000 and would be funded from the future development project budget within the 201718 annual plan.