What is wastewater?
Kaipara District Council currently manages:
- 31km of rising main
- 107km of gravity lines
- 1,565 manholes
- 4,564 connections
- 32 pumping stations
The Sewerage and the Treatment and Disposal of Sewage Activity focuses on protecting public and environmental health by collecting and treating wastewater prior to release into receiving environments. Council owns and maintains the wastewater service network covering:
- Collection and transfer of wastewater (reticulation);
- Pump station facilities;
- Treatment and storage of wastewater; and
- Discharge of treated wastewater into surrounding environments.
Council’s Sewerage and the Treatment and Disposal of Sewage Activity includes other responsibilities through their professional and physical works contracts. Council undertakes the following:
- Asset Management;
- Customer Services;
- Treatment Plant Operations and Maintenance;
- Capital and Refurbishment Programmes; and
- Consent Monitoring and Compliance.
What we want to see
That the District’s wastewater is collected, treated and disposed of in a cost-effective, sustainable and environmentally friendly manner.
Why we do it
To protect public health by providing Kaipara District with a reliable wastewater system in a manner that minimises adverse effects on the environment; and
To ensure waste does not threaten us or the environment we live in is of high importance to our communities.
What we do
- The Kaipara District Council operates six community wastewater schemes for:
- Dargaville
- Glinks Gully
- Kaiwaka
- Te Kopuru
- Mangawhai - Mangawhai Community Wastewater Scheme (MCWWS) Extension Project
- Maungaturoto.
How do I connect?
For Mangawhai Wastewater Scheme please click here.
For all other applications please use this application form.
The level of service
- Legal compliance with all Resource Consents for discharges into the environment from Council systems. The exception, provided for in the consent, is severe weather events and power failure;
- Services to customers from the six community wastewater schemes will be reliable and dependable;
- Extension of connections, disconnections to Council systems and exits from a scheme will be progressed where a business case shows benefits are in line with costs;
- We comply with Resource Consents except for Kaiwaka and Te Kopuru. Desludging of ponds will assist with compliance in the future and assist to avoid or mitigate any breaches of consent conditions;
- An extension of reticulation in Mangawhai is likely to be necessary to realise the full benefit from the investment already made; and
- Improvements are needed to the Asset Management Plan (AMP) to understand asset condition better and have an improved investment programme.
Definitions
Wastewater: Water and solids that go into our sewage network from bathrooms, kitchens and laundries.
Rising main: Pipeline from main wastewater pumpstation to the plant.
Resource consent: Contract that must be obtained from environmental agencies (in this case the Northland Regional Council) stating what must be done to protect the environment from adverse effects.
Grit Treatment: Separation of elements that enter the headworks and won’t break down during treatment.
Sequential Batch Reactor: Tanks that speedily aerate wastewater and separate out bio-solids.
Bio-solids: Nutrient rich sludge left behind when water is extracted. The basis of great compost.
UV treatment: Ultra-violet light that disinfects the treated effluent and kills micro-organisms.
Sub-surface irrigation: Underground pipes for dispersing highly treated wastewater.
Beneficial re-use: Recycling of highly treated wastewater for irrigation and biosolids into compost.
