Cultural Drivers Toward Land Based Disposal and Applications Enabling this

The disposal of human waste, especially to waterways, is a highly emotive topic and of particular interest to Māori, New Zealand’s indigenous population. The common driver for many technological solutions, and associated resource consent conditions in New Zealand, is the abhorrence, to Māori, of direct discharge of human waste (domestic wastewater) to water, almost regardless of the degree of treatment. In Māori culture, human waste is “tapu” (unsafe/dirty/bad) and this needs to be converted to noa (safe/clean/good) prior to water contact.

Experience has highlighted the importance of early participation of iwi (tribe) and hapu (extended family group) in a partnership approach with technical advisors and the relevant local authority to identify wastewater treatment project outcomes which are acceptable to all stakeholders. This is consistent with the Treaty of Waitangi and the development of concepts and technology solutions that address cultural and spiritual matters. This also encompasses the Part Two requirements of the Resource Management Act and the development and engineering of technical and non-technical solutions that can meet the aspirations of local iwi and hapu.

Traditionally water (sea, lakes and rivers) has been a key source of food (kai moana) for Māori, regarded as their pataka (pantry). As a result, maintaining its mauri (special nature / life force) is of utmost importance. Disposal of human effluent to this pataka is considered objectionable to Māori.

This paper outlines iwi concerns around wastewater discharges to water bodies which may impact on the kai moana and recreational use of the receiving water body, and as a result negatively affect the mauri. While many of the contaminants of concern to iwi are typically limited via resource consent (i.e. nitrogen, phosphorous and faecal coliforms), often the limit is not key, and instead the treatment process and pathway for disposal are considered more relevant from a cultural perspective. For example, contact with land (Papatuanuku, the earth mother) can reduce tapu, making the wastewater more noa. There are additional concerns around the topic of drug and antibiotic discharge via domestic wastewater discharge, and the potential for bio-accumulation in the kai moana and the food chain (raupapa kame).

Treatment options are emerging globally which utilise natural land-based treatment applications and can address iwi concerns around domestic wastewater discharge to receiving waterbodies. Removing nitrogen and phosphorous using natural treatment pathways requires attention to the chemistry of soils and water, coupled with innovative methods of irrigation. This paper will touch on some successful overseas case studies which remove nitrogen and phosphorous via innovative wetland and land disposal technologies and discuss how these can be applied to communities in New Zealand to upgrade treatment plants at relatively low cost, while addressing the issues of bi-culturalism and respecting Māori values through the use of Papatuanuku in the treatment process.