Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has received an abatement notice from Otago Regional Council (ORC) in relation to the performance of Hāwea Wastewater Treatment Plant, after the facility failed to achieve its 12 month rolling mean for nitrogen levels within treated wastewater discharged to its oxidation pond.

QLDC General Manager Property & Infrastructure, Tony Avery said while the breach and abatement notice were disappointing, environmental monitoring in Hāwea River showed there were no adverse effects associated with the treatment plant’s elevated nitrogen levels.

“Treated wastewater is discharged to land either via the facility’s land treatment area or an infiltration trench, both of which are located downstream from Lake Hāwea and ultimately drain through to Hāwea River. As a priority, staff are exploring further measures to improve performance and to bring the plant back into full compliance with its consent conditions,” said Mr Avery.

“We’ve been aware of fluctuating nitrogen levels in the treated wastewater and have attempted to resolve them through upgrades to the facility’s wastewater treatment processes in the recent past, and while these changes have resulted in significant improvements, nitrogen remains above consented limits.”

Monthly testing in Lake Hāwea, and in Hāwea River downstream from the wastewater treatment plant show no adverse effects associated with the current non-compliance.

Given historical non-compliance of Hāwea’s treatment plant and the need to cater for significant growth in the catchment, plans are already in place to connect the township to Project Pure/Wānaka Wastewater Treatment Plant.

This planned connection is part of the wider Upper Clutha Wastewater Conveyance Scheme project, which will see significant investment in wastewater management capacity across both the Hāwea and Wānaka schemes.

Funding for this project is included in the adopted QLDC Long Term Plan 2024-2034, with an overall budget of $80.1m which includes approximately $22m of funding from the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund.

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