We own and operate the Hikurangi Wastewater Treatment Plant on Jordan Valley Road.
Wastewater treatment plants take your wastewater from bathrooms, kitchens and laundries etc. and treat it before putting it back into the environment.
The Hikurangi Wastewater Treatment Plant has a resource consent that allows us to release treated wastewater back into the Mangawhero Stream.
This consent is due to expire, and a new consent application is required to be lodged with Northland Regional Council before 30 March 2025 for the wastewater treatment plant to continue to operate.
Upgrades to Hikurangi
Wastewater treatment at the plant involves untreated wastewater being treated through treatment ponds and wetland cells before it is then released into the Mangawhero Stream.
Upgrades are required to the wastewater treatment plant to improve wastewater treatment so that it can achieve current and future consent conditions.
Upgrades commissioned by Council to improve the wastewater treatment include:
- addition of a pathogen removal treatment system and associated covered polishing pond to remove bacteria and viruses prior to discharge and better manage algae growth – underway
- improvements to the ponds through the addition of baffles to increase the time wastewater has in the ponds for treatment – completed
- improved process instrumentation for tracking plant performance – underway
- new inlet screen to remove large solids prior to the wastewater entering the ponds – underway
- improved discharge structure to better disperse the discharge into the receiving Mangawhero Stream – 2025.
These upgrades will improve the quality of water we release back into the waterways.
We will continue to monitor the discharge to determine if further upgrades will be required to meet future discharge targets.
Work we have ahead of us
We are currently doing technical environmental studies and will lodge the consent application in late March 2025. We have been working closely with mana whenua partners and key stakeholders to develop the consent application.
We will continue to work on upgrading the Hikurangi Wastewater Treatment Plant and monitoring the performance of the upgrades.
Give us your feedback
We are keen to share what we have prepared so far, hear feedback and understand any potential concerns from property owners close to the treatment plant and disposal sites, and the wider community.
Please send us your feedback by 5:00pm on Friday 14 March 2025.
Online survey form