Elected Members agreed to commence the first two stages of a multi-year project to increase the capacity of the Mangawhai Wastewater Scheme.
Stages one and two of the Mangawhai Community Wastewater Scheme (MWWS) – revised Master Plan Strategy will allow for more connections to the Mangawhai Wastewater Treatment Plant, which would otherwise reach capacity next year, and will kickstart steps to diversify how the town’s treated wastewater is dispersed.
Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson says Mangawhai’s population is rapidly growing, and it is essential that the wastewater scheme can accommodate this.
“We need to stay ahead of the game and have the wastewater system ready to come onstream when it is needed,” says Mayor Jepson.
Stage one consists of further optimising the Mangawhai Wastewater Plant’s performance with the design and implementation of an inDENSE system, increasing the plant’s capacity by 550 to 3,550 connections. This increase will cater for projected growth in Mangawhai to at least 2030, depending on the rate of the growth.
Kaipara District Council General Manager of Infrastructure Services, Anin Nama, says the current dispersal of treated wastewater at the Brown Road farm can be improved.
Treated wastewater from the plant currently flows some 13 kilometres to Kaipara District Council’s Brown Road farm effluent pond, where it is then irrigated onto paddocks. In stage two, Council will begin concept design and the resource consent process for a new irrigation system for the farm, including subsurface irrigation to specific areas of the Mangawhai Golf Course. Now that Council has approved stage two, discussions regarding the subsurface irrigation can continue with the Management of the Golf Club.
“In the future, the farm irrigation system will be reduced, with the majority of treated wastewater flowing a short distance over the hill to Mangawhai Golf Club,” says Anin.
“The current spraying operation at the Brown Road farm will be replaced with either a wetland system or subsurface irrigation. This plan was informed by an investigation into farm operations earlier this year.”
As of today, the farm’s capacity can only service new connections to the wastewater scheme up until 2026.
A sum of $1.8m was provided in the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan and this sum was increased to $2.3m in the 2022/23 Annual Plan. The unspent balance of $1.96m has been carried through into the 2023/24 capital budget and available for the stage one and two works. Stages one and two of the MWWS – revised Master Plan Strategy will be undertaken by Kaipara District Council, prior to the planned transfer of assets to Wai Tāmaki ki Te Hiku, Auckland and Northland’s new water entity, as of 01 July 2024.
There are a further three stages to the revised Master Plan Strategy, which will be carried out by the water entity once it goes live next year. Council is working with it on handover of our asset management plan going forward.
Five stages of the Mangawhai Community Wastewater Scheme – revised Master Plan Strategy
Stages
Activities carried out by Kaipara District Council
Stage 1
Optimise the treatment plant.
Design the inDENSE system.
Commission the inDENSE system.
Implement the inDENSE system.
Stage 2
Concept design and consent plan development of Mangawhai Golf Course and Lincoln Downs Brown Road Farm irrigation systems.
Stages
Activities carried out by Wai Tāmaki ki Te Hiku
Stage 3
Design and construct of upgrades of the inlet screen.
Convert he balance tank to a third cyclic activated sludge system (CASS) biological reactor unit and the installation of a second inDENSE system.
Design and install the ultra-filtration system with UV disinfection system.
Stage 4
Detailed design, resource consent, and construction of subsurface irrigation at the Mangawhai Golf Course.
Detailed design, resource consent, and construction of the Lincoln Downs Brown Road Farm irrigation systems.
Stage 5
Various new pipelines, pumpstations, or upgrades to cater for growth over the next 10-30 years.
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